Others
by Sandman Cometh
Summary: Set in the first season, Aang and the others are finally captured by Zuko. But their capture is part of a bigger plot by forces outside the four nations, a plot that may be for good or evil.
1. Watchers

_**Others**_

Chap. 1

Watchers

_Set in the middle of the first season of Avatar….._

The forests of the Earth Kingdom are notorious for their splendor. Stretching over the entire continent, they are sacred to the people of the land. Because of that, the people treat the forests with the care and devotion that is reserved for followers to their god. Through that devotion the forests have become places of serenity and beauty. It has been said that many of the invading Fire Nation army wept as they were forced to burn the forests they came across. And this very morning, the serenity of the forests were disturbed again, though not by any member of the Fire Nation, but by one very angry member of the Water-Tribe…..

"Sokka, will you just eat with us?" Katara asked for at least the hundredth time.

"It's going to work." Sokka snapped back, as he watched his trap with furious dedication. The night before, Sokka has made a simple trap in the hopes of catching a rabbit for breakfast. He'd gone to bed with the hopes of a delicious meal when he awoke. However, upon wakening, Sokka found the trap empty. Upon careful examination, he realized his fatal mistake- he had baited the rabbit trap with seal-jerky instead of vegetables. Now, while everyone else ate, Sokka stared at his trap, waiting for something to find the seal-jerky and become his breakfast.

However, this was a slow-to-not-happening process that found Sokka growing hungrier and angrier by the second.

"Please. Just one little rabbit, or anything." Sokka moaned as his stomach rumbled.

"I told you that seal-jerky was a mistake." Aang said.

"Oh what do you know about hunting? You don't even eat meat!" Sokka relpied angrily. "Neither do rabbits." Aang replied.

Having no response, Sokka muttered something angrily and returned to watching his trap. "Look Sokka, there's still some food. Why don't you just eat something? Besides, we can't wait here all day for your trap to work." Katara suggested.

Sokka prepared a retort, but his growling stomach made another reply. "Oh fine." He muttered, as he rejoined the others. "Aang, pass me that bread." He said as he sat down. The young Airbender reach into the sack to do just that, but when he pulled his hand out, it was empty.

"Sorry Sokka, I think we ate the last of the food." He said sheepishly. "WHAT!" Sokka yelled. "Calm down. You knew we were running low on supplies." Katara reminded him, though she quickly started thinking of a plan. She that it was hard enough for Sokka to admit his failure; if she didn't placate him soon, he'd be whiny the whole day. Thankfully, inspiration came rather quickly. "There's probably a town nearby. We'll get some food there." "But I'm hungry now." Sokka moaned.

Suddenly, there was a noise from behind them. Sokka whipped around to see a badger-rat fall into his trap.

"FOOD!" he cried out in joy as he run to his trap. But in his haste, Sokka failed to notice the root in his path until it was too late. Sokka's foot caught under the root and he tripped. This would have been bad enough, but Sokka fell right onto his trap. There was a crack as it splintered and broke underneath his weight. For a second, Sokka realized what had happened. Then he saw the badger-rat run under his arm and into the woods. "NOO! COME BACK SO I CAN EAT YOU!" he yelled as he got to his feet. But the creature was already gone.

"Why can't I win?" he moaned, as he moved back to Appa. "Come on, we'll get you some breakfast in town." Katara said, as she helped her brother onto the bison.

"Let's go Aang." She said, turning to the front of the creature. But instead of flying Appa, Aang was looking around the woods. "What is it?" she asked, wondering if they had been found out. "I think we're being watched." Aang said. "But I'm not sure." He added. Despite this uncertainty, the siblings took a careful look around. Aang had been a bit strange the last few days, seeming to sense that something big was going to happen. Since he was the Avatar, Katara and Sokka took his intuition seriously, since it might be some kind of cosmic warning from Avatar Roku or another Avatar. But after a minute or two, they felt that it was safe. Well, one of them anyway.

"Let's get out of here before the Fire Nation comes down on us." Sokka said, his suspicious nature coming out once again. "I don't think that it's them this time." Aang said. "Who else could be? Let's just get moving before whoever it is finds us." Aang nodded, and with a quick "Yip-Yip," he sent Appa into the air.

But Aang had been right. Perhaps it was because he was the Avatar, tied to the world at large, or perhaps it was simple intuition. Perhaps it was even a sense of warning from one of the other Avatars. Whatever the case, the small band of heroes was being observed. Sokka however, was wrong to assume that it was only the Fire Nation that could watch them. For as Appa took flight, the image was seen by beings in a place far removed from the Earth Kingdom or any of the four nations. Ten beings stood on a platform watching. Each of them wore long hooded robes and each had a different color. Each stood on a space on the platform reserved for them. Those beings watched Appa fly into the air with grave looks upon their faces. For they searched for the Avatar for the last century, waiting for his return. And as they watched Appa fly off, they believed their search might have finally come to an end. But as they continued to watch, the image suddenly flickered and then vanished.

"The world's balance still affects our power." Said the black robed figures, her long ebony hair flowing down from her head.

"It does not matter. We know now that the boy is the one we seek." Said another, as she pulled back her white hood. "We know nothing more then we did." cautioned the red-robed figure.

"All we have learned is that one Airbender survived the massacre. That does not make him the Avatar."

"But how else could have he survived so long?" The white-robe asked. "We know that he has passed the century since then and not aged a day."

"Such things are not solely regulated to the Avatar. There are many ways he could have survived."

"But why this Airbender, brother? What kind of magic could a child gain that would allow this?" The white-robe argued.

"It could have been many things. Perhaps an accident or simple forces of nature. These events are not regulated to the Avatar either." Suggested the blue-robed figure.

"Important, but these points cannot be investigated now." Spoke another figure, dressed in golden robes. At the sound of his voice, all the figures turned to face him. "Our brother and sisters ask significant questions, but none of them lead us to our goal. As long as the balance is interrupted, we cannot affect what happens in that world, nor can we fully sense it's magic. The Avatar is our only chance to regain our power there. But we must be sure that he still exists before we can act."

"How? Did you not just say that we cannot affect that world?" demanded the green-robed figure. "You are correct brother. But we can send those who can."

"Is that possible?" asked a silver robed figure. "Yes. It will take much of our power, but sending them is still an option. Let us make contact." The golden-robe turned to his black-robed sister. She nodded her response. Facing the center of the platform, she stretched forth her hand. Suddenly, black flame shot up from the center. It twisted there, moving and changing as though chained to the ground itself. As the figures watched, the flames began to take shape until they formed the shape of man. With a flash, they vanished, and what was left was the image of a man dressed in black rags. "What do you wish of us?" he asked.

"We are sending you to the world of the Avatar." The black robe said.

"Yes I suspected as much. You have spoken much of that world recently. What are we to do?" "We have reason to believe that the Avatar has survived. You are to make sure." Replied the gray-robe.

"Surely you would know of such a thing yourselves." The man asked with some astonishment. "The actions of the Fire Nation cloud our power. We cannot be sure. All we know is that one Airbender survived. You must find him and test him." Instructed the orange robe. "If he is the Avatar, he is critical to our plans for that world."

The man considered what had been said, and then nodded. "When shall we be sent?" "Soon. And remember, if this boy is the Avatar….." "We shall do as you wish Masters. He will see the wisdom of aligning himself with our power." "Good. Soon all will be as it should be again." The man nodded, and with a burst of the black flame, vanished.


	2. Entry

Chap. 2

Entry

Ocean spray blew across the deck of the ship as it cut through the water. For many, the breeze of the sea is refreshing, a cooling mist that comforts during the day. But as with all people and occurrences, some find it beneath their notice. One such boy stood on the bow of his ship, watching the horizon spread out before him. Zuko, banished prince of the Fire Nation, had all his senses directed towards the goal that had consumed him for the last two years. If a casual observer had seen the boy, they would have assumed he was admiring the sky. But none on this ship needed to observe their leader. They knew Zuko would be out there, watching for any sign of the Avatar as he had done for days since the Avatar had escaped them at Kyoshi Island. _He's out there. _He thought, as he looked out. _And I will find him. If it takes the rest of my life, I will make my father proud again…_

"Prince Zuko!" came a voice from behind him. His concentration unaffected, Zuko continued to stare ahead, as his uncle came up the stairs.

"I didn't see you at breakfast. The cook made an excellent broth! Such succulent noodles." Iroh said, his tongue licking his lips at the thought of the meal.

" I wasn't hungry." The prince replied coldly.

His face showing concern, Iroh voiced his thoughts. "Prince Zuko, you have spent the last two days up here looking for the Avatar. You must rest and replenish yourself, or you shall lose your strength."

"My strength is not dependant on such things, Uncle." Zuko replied testily, having heard this speech many times before.

"Zuko, a warrior must prepare himself for battle to truly be effective. Part of that is being rested and ready to face the day. If you continue to do this, it will not matter if we find the Avatar, for you will be too tired and weak to capture him."

"I am not weak! And I don't need your lectures on what makes a warrior!" Zuko snapped, his temper breaking once again. Angrily, the boy-prince turned his gaze to the horizon, refusing to look away.

But Iroh remained calm as always. "Perhaps, but it doesn't really matter, since we will have to stop anyway." Said the general, as he turned away. "WHAT!" Zuko screamed behind him, as he whipped around.

Keeping his back to the prince, Iroh replied calmly, "Yes. The men say we are low on supplies, and that we must restock if we are to continue on our quest." "Who gave them permission to do this!" Zuko muttered angrily.

"I do not know. Perhaps you should go investigate." Iroh suggested. Nodding, the banished prince stomped down the stairs to interrogate the crew.

But Iroh remained behind, a smile on his face. The general did in fact, know who had authorized the stop; he had. The ship's supply of food was quite low, and it was crucial to restock it. Luckily, there was a trading town nearby that they could use to fulfill that need. As for Zuko, Iroh knew that this knowledge would send his nephew into anger great enough to leave his post. And on his way to the crew, he might very well pass by the kitchen…. _If he does not burn it down._ Iroh thought, with a hint of sadness. The old general cared deeply for his nephew, but times such as these reminded him that Zuko was his brother's son. Ozai's temper was extremely evident within the boy. _Thank heavens for his mother. _Iroh thought, as he walked to the door. _If he was like Azula…._

He sighed then, for though Zuko was Ozai's son, Azula was truly his child. Her anger, manipulations, selfishness, and lack of honor… all those qualities that were so evident in Ozai were personified in her. And despite his hatred for his sister for those very qualities, Zuko failed to see them in his father. It was that very blindness that was Iroh's greatest fear- that Zuko would see them when he returned home, Avatar in hand and remained banished but with no hope of ever returning. _How has it come to this? _Iroh wondered, as he made his way down. _How has a great nation become overseen by honor-less dogs, with it greatest hope endlessly attempting to become one? _ _If only I had taken the throne… but it matters not. If I cannot redeem the Fire Nation myself, I must make sure Zuko does. I must see that before his journey ends, he sees the monster his father is… and that he sees the king he could be._

Meanwhile, the town that Iroh had chosen was setting up its shops for the day. Few of the townsfolk didn't work in trading, so most of the city was preparing for the day. But for a second, their efforts were halted. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to rumble as if in the grip of an angry fist. The people ran to save their wares, but the quake only lasted a minute. Once it ended, the people convinced themselves it was a mutual hallucination and continued with their day. But it had been a quake of a kind. But not the kind that shakes rock and earth. It had been the kind that shakes time and space. A mile outside the city, in the forest surrounding it, the air had crackled, as if charged with electricity. Then, a tearing sound could be heard and suddenly, the air itself opened up, a hole appearing that seemed to lead into nowhere. But appearances are deceiving, for moments after it opened, a figure began to emerge.

The man in black, his lower face masked by wrappings and a wide brimmed black hat on his head exited. His body was covered by his black ragged uniform, with black gauntlets, boots, and a cape completing the look. He looked around once twice, trying to sense danger. Underneath his wrappings, something on the side of his head twitched, as though he was trying to force his hearing to adapt as well. But finally, he nodded. Turning back to the hole, he called out, "It's safe." A moment later, other figures began to emerge. Each one was different in build, but each wore the same basic uniform as the man in black, with one crucial difference- each on wore a different color derivative of its master. Eventually, ten figures stood in the clearing. The hole crackled a minute longer, then folded in on itself and returned to normal.

The figures looked around judging the environment. Finally, the brown man spoke. "Are you sure we're alone?" he asked.

"Positive. I don't sense a soul." The black man said.

"Neither do I." Said a lighter voice, as the woman in gold stepped forward. "Then maybe we should start looking for one soul in particular." The man in orange said, his gruff voice speaking volumes.

Nodding, the man in white closed his eyes. A second later, he spoke; "The Airbender is near. One mile away, in a nearby town."

"Then let's go." Said the man in brown. "Not so fast." Said the man in blue. "I think we might have another problem."

"What do you mean?" asked the man in black.

"This town is near the ocean. I can sense something moving towards us on the water, something with dark intentions."

"What does it look like?" asked the man in red. In response, the man in blue stretched out his hands. In front of him, the air began to ripple. Suddenly, it changed into water, which shifted and changed until it had taken the form of a large warship, a perfect replica of what its master had seen.

"A Fire-Nation ship?" asked the man in green. "Yes, but a very special ship." The man in red answered. "Look at the marking on its brow. It's the mark of a banished warrior. And the Fire-Lord only grants such ships to royalty. This is Prince Zuko's ship."

"Then we have a problem." Said the man in silver, as the man in blue dissolved the water ship. "We know Zuko is obsessed with the Avatar. If he gets to the boy first, we'll never be able to test him."

"Maybe, maybe not." Said the man in gray thoughtfully. "There might be a way to turn this to our advantage." "This had better be good. We can't let the Avatar be injured." Said the woman in gold. "True, but if I'm right, we can let Zuko do the work for us, and test him anyway…."


	3. Stage 1

Chap.3

Stage 1

"So how much money do we have left?" asked Katara, as they walked into the town. Thankfully, they had managed to find this trading village after Appa had been flying for only twenty minutes. The bison had landed some distance away and was currently hiding in the forest with Momo. After all, it was difficult enough to keep moving with an Avatar who was the last of his people. Walking into the unfamiliar town with that Avatar's giant flying bison and lemur was just asking for someone to come capture them.

"Not that much, since Aang got to carry it last time." Sokka said, as his eyes flashed from shop to shop, looking for anything that even resembled a food stand.

"There may not be much left, but I spent it well." Aang replied.

"Um Aang, you spent it on a miniature harpoon." Katara replied.

"Yeah, but just of the fish we can catch now." The young Avatar said eagerly.

"Aang it was for six year olds. It won't catch anything bigger then a shrimp." Katara reminded him. "Then we'll eat shrimp." Aang said nonchalantly, as he looked around the market.

Katara sighed, but she had to smile a bit at Aang's confidence. _How does he stay so positive all the time?_ She thought to herself, though not for the first time. _I guess it's either that, or sink into crippling depression. _She answered herself a moment later. Such contradictory thoughts always came up when she thought about Aang. He was very much a child, but he was destined to save the world. He was the last of his people, but he kept a positive attitude. He could be extremely powerful, but he could also need to be held and comforted. Katara often wondered how Aang would learn to accomplish his destiny, but she also knew she would do everything in her power to help him succeed. _It's what Mom would want me to do anyway. _She thought.

Suddenly, Sokka let out a cry of "Food!" and ran over to a fruit stand. Grabbing a couple of papayas, he turned to the old, gray-bearded shopkeep and asked, "How much?"

"Four steel pieces for all of 'em." Was the reply. Sokka's face fell, as he realized they didn't have that kind of money.

"Cheer up kid. You could have 'em, if you can find something else I might want." The shopkeep replied as Katara and Aang came up to the stand.

"Let me try." Said Aang, eager to hone his haggling skills. Walking up to the shopkeep, he placed his arm on the stand and said, "I think I can name a better price for those fruits."

"Oh?" asked the shopkeep, imitating Aang's pose. "How about…" began Aang, as he reached into his sleeves, then with a flourish withdrew, " three copper pieces?"

The shopkeep's reaction was first surprise, then a smile. "Sorry kid, I think you'll need to work a little bit harder at this."

"Fine, how about…" another flourish then, "three copper pieces _and _a valuable artifact?" "Um Aang," said Katara, as she got a look at the item he was offering. "that's just a piece of seal-bone…"

"Shhh. He doesn't know that." Aang whispered back. But when he turned around, the shopkeep was laughing. "You're creative kid, I'll say that." He got in between guffaws. "Listen, make it three pieces again, and you've got a deal."

"Huh? Why?" asked Katara in surprise.

"Your friend made me laugh. That's good tender these days." The shopkeep replied, his laughter fading. "Besides, I think your brother is starting to look at the wood of my stand like it's a five course meal." Katara turned and indeed, Sokka was staring at the stand a little too intently.

"Guess you're right. Thanks. Good to see someone cares about strangers around here." Katara said. Nodding his agreement, Aang took one of the papayas and tossed it to Sokka, who immediately began to devour it. "Here you go." The young Avatar said, as he slid the three copper pieces over to the shopkeep.

"Thanks…" began the man as he reached for the money, but as his hand moved it grasp it he stopped. Aang looked up in confusion, and then realized the man was staring at the back of his hand. Realization came into the boy's mind, but too late, as the shopkeep breathed, "Air-Bender tattoos….." "Oh no." Katara muttered, as she began to back away from the stand.

Aang began to move as well, but before he could, the shopkeep began to scream, "The Avatar! He's here!" At the sound of his voice, there was the sound of pots breaking as people started in shock. But when Katara turned to see who was coming, her face fell as she saw two men dressed in Fire-Nation armor moving towards them.

"Aang! Sokka! Run!" she yelled out. "But I'm not done yet!" Sokka moaned, as he looked up, bits of papaya on his face. Aang just grabbed him and began to run off. Katara moved to join them, but then saw a large rain barrel. As the soldiers moved in, she suddenly whipped around and bent the water inside the barrel. It rose up from its confines and whipped outwards, knocking the two soldiers to the ground. Once they were stunned, Katara turned and ran after her friends, as the two soldiers struggled to their feet.

"Perfect." The shopkeep said, as he watched the group of children run from the Fire-Nation soldiers. Turning around, he walked into the alleyway next to his stand. It was dingy and dark, even in the middle of the day, which suited his purpose flawlessly. The shopkeep walked down the alleyway, until he reached the very end. Once there, he looked around, making sure he was alone. After a moment, he decided that all was well, and began his task. Suddenly, the shopkeep's eyes began to glow, as the air around him crackled with energy. His fingertips began to spark, as his hair stood up, infused with electricity. His body became covered in energy, which swarmed over his entire being. There was a crack of thunder, and then the high-voltage power vanished, as did the image of the shopkeep. The man in silver stood there then. He waited for his power to dissipate, then reached behind his flowing cape. From within its confines, he drew a long, elegant staff. The staff was bronze, covered in strange runes and topped by a small crystal orb in a silver holder. Below the orb, embedded within the staff's holder, was a round silver gemstone. The man in silver looked at the stone a moment and then it began to glow. Seeing that glow, the man spoke, though seemingly to no one. "They are being pursued. Stage One is complete."

"Good. We will proceed with Stage Two." Said the man in black as he received the message. The man stood in an empty warehouse, near the docks of the town. A few boxes littered the floor but the place had been abandoned for years, which was why the fellowship had chosen it. In his hands, the man held a powerful-looking long sword. The blade was sharp and polished, and should have gleamed in the sunlight that streamed in through the windows of the warehouse. But it remained dark. Separating the blade and the handle was a hand guard shaped in the image of a bat, it's wings curving over the blade. In this guard's center rested another glowing gemstone, this one black. It was through this stone that the man in black received the words of his companion.

But as he spoke, the glow from his black gemstone dimmed, as his companion broke off communication. Nodding his acceptance, the man turned to set that stage into motion. Behind him stood the rest of his fellowship.

Turning to the men in red, white, and blue, he gave them their instructions. "The Avatar is being pursued. You two must make sure that he and his allies are captured and brought onto Zuko's ship."

The blue and white men nodded. Suddenly, the man in blue began to change. His body began to become transparent, and almost totally fluid. As he looked up, the blue man's body began to break off and rise into the air, almost like he was evaporating. Within seconds, he had vanished. The man in white looked up as well, and around his body, white energy began to flow, moving almost like the winds. He too vanished in seconds.

Turning to the man in red, the black man then asked, "You are sure you know what to do?" "If the Avatar is as young and emotional as we believe, my plan should accomplish all that we need." The red man replied.

"Good. Remember, you must wait until the Avatar is captured before you enter Zuko's ship." The man in red nodded, and suddenly, his body was engulfed in flame. The flames burned out in seconds, but when they disappeared, so had the man in red. "All the pieces are moving into place." The man in gray said, as he moved to stand behind the man in black. "Indeed. But we still have one more thing to put into motion." The man in black replied.

"Right. I almost forgot." The man in gray said. The two companions turned around, as the man in green pulled a large bundle out from behind a storage box. Depositing it on the ground, the group watched as the shopkeep that the silver man had impersonated and had also bound and gagged, raised his head. There was stillness a moment, then the man in black nodded. The woman in gold came forward then. Standing in front of the shopkeep, she looked at him a moment, then raised up her right arm, which was covered in a strange gauntlet, with its forearm guard slightly raised. The shopkeep looked at it a moment, then his eyes widened in horror, as a long blade suddenly popped out of the woman's gauntlet. He began to thrash and screamed as the woman came closer to him. But the woman gave no notice. Gently she placed the blade onto his chest, point first. The man's screams reached a fever pitch under the gag. But then, the woman slashed down, cutting through the ropes that held the man.

The man's screamed stopped then, as he stared in amazement. Rising unsteadily to his feet, he undid the gag and stared at the woman. "Go." She said to him. The shopkeep shook his head in stunned silence, and then ran out of the warehouse.

"Will he talk?" asked the man in green as he watched the man run.

"It won't matter. He doesn't know who or where the Avatar is. And even if he did, neither the boy nor anyone else would believe him." The man in black replied. "Soon enough it won't matter anyway."


	4. Stage 2

Chap. 4

Stage 2

The prow of the Fire Nation ship cast a long shadow across the docks. As the various peoples of the Nations walked around, looking for their next purchase or for a new mark to sucker into a deal, they unknowingly did one thing in common. No matter their alliegance or purpose, each man woman and child stayed away from the shadow of the ship. For the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom members, this came as no great surprise. But even the few Firebenders on the dock stayed away, as if the ship contained some great evil from their homeland. Most of the Firebenders on board would have been slightly pained by that snub from their own people. But only one Firebender was above deck, and Zuko had long stopped caring about the accolades of his people. Or rather, he had stopped admitting to himself he did.

_Where is he? _Zuko thought angrily, as he looked over the prow of the ship. Since landing on the docks, the soldiers had left and returned with more then enough food to get them across the next few months. Almost every member of the crew had returned, each one…. Iroh. The old general had left to browse the shops, promising his young nephew that he would return by the time the ship was loaded. But the ship was nearly loaded now, and Iroh was nowhere in sight. _What worthless garbage is he buying now? _Zuko wondered, as he paced the deck. _I swear, it's almost like he planned this so he could do shopping. He does this in every town we stop in. There's no reason I shouldn't just leave him here. _

But at that vengeful thought, Zuko stopped and shook his head in astonishment. _What am I thinking? Uncle may be an annoyance, but I cannot even consider abandoning him. He has stood by me when everyone else cursed me. His wisdom can be invaluable, especially his knowledge of firebending. Besides, if I would abandon him after all he has done for me, I do not deserve to return home._

_What he has done for me….. _Even after all this time that thought still made Zuko reflect on what had happened. He could still hear his father's voice, banishing him from the land of his birth. He could feel the pain in his face, as the fresh wound festered. He could also remember the cool touch of the wet cloth applied to his face. He could remember the words of his uncle, offering to aid his fallen nephew in his quest. _And he has never faltered since then. _Zuko thought. _That is why I must capture the Avatar, not only for my honor, but to show my father that neither my uncle nor I are the failures he thinks we are. _Zuko would have reflected more, but suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps on the deck.

Whipping around, the young prince saw one of his troops running up the deck to him. "Prince Zuko! I have news!" the soldier yelled, as he crossed the ship to where Zuko was standing.

"What is it?" Zuko asked, hoping that this solider would bring him the news he had desired to hear for so long. His hopes were realized a second later, when the soldier said, "The Avatar has been sighted in the town. Two of the crewmen are pursuing him."

"How do you know?" Zuko asked, his urgency spilling into his voice. "I was making a purchase in the town, when I saw fire-blasts from a distance. They were then answered by water and air blasts. I wasn't sure if it was our men or not, but then I heard them cry out. It is indeed two of ours."

"Can you take me to them?" Zuko asked.

"I can try my prince, but they were moving fast. We must hurry and mount the rhinos so we can pursue them." The prince nodded, and the two of them began to run down the runway into the lower deck.

The crewman told the truth; he had seen the effects of the battle between the heroes and soldiers. And it was indeed moving fast. When Aang and the others had been found out, they had been near the center of the town, but now, they were moving closer to the docks. In fact, they reached the docks within a few seconds. Realizing that they were out of room, the three friends turned and faced the two soldiers. "End of the line kids." One solider said as he reached them.

"It isn't over yet." Aang replied, grim determination on his face. The young Airbender meant it too. Since seeing what the Fire Nation had done to the Air Temple a hundred years ago, Aang had been filled with a want to punish the Fire Nation for their crimes. He had tried to control it, remembering that all life was precious. But there was no reason he could not take out his anger on these two soldiers, so long as he kept control. Still, for a moment, Aang imagined that he was Gyatso, fighting the Fire Nation, only this time…..

"If you were a real Avatar, I might believe you." The soldier replied, breaking Aang's concentration. "But you're just a kid. And so are your friends. This won't be a long fight."

"I don't think so." Katara said, as she threw her arms into the air. Behind her, the water of the docks rose upwards into a long tentacle. With a flourish, the young Waterbender whirled around and directed the water straight at the soldiers. As the tentacle shot forwards, the two of them readied their firebending to counteract it. But such actions were unnecessary. Just as the tentacle prepared to strike, it suddenly moved upwards and shot over their heads into the wall. As it harmlessly splattered over their heads, the two soldiers looked at each other in confusion. Katara simply looked at the water in surprise. The two soldiers prepared to take advantage of this, but before they could, a boomerang whirled over them, destroying their focus.

"Nobody tries a sneak attack on my sister. Well except me." Sokka said, as the boomerang flew back into his hand. The soldiers almost instantly fired back, but their attack was blocked by the whirling force of Aang's staff.

"Hey Sokka, left or right?" he asked, as he took a defensive pose.

"Why don't you pick, Aang?" Sokka said, as he prepared to attack.

"Well the odd side seems good for you so…" and with that, Aang suddenly leapt into the air, charging for the solder on the right. "Oh real funny!" Sokka yelled back, as he took the soldier on the left.

Meanwhile, Katara watched the battle somewhat distractedly. She wanted to help, but she wasn't sure what had gone wrong with her bending. Everything had been perfect, even as the water moved past her body. _Why didn't it work?_ She wondered, as she watched Aang land his attack on the solider. _I've done that move a million times. Why now?_ She wondered, as she looked over everything she had done to launch the move. The stance was right, the movements were right. But then, Katara realized that just before the attack had landed, there had been a strange feeling in the water. Usually, the water was like a willing tool, always ready to bend to her commands. But before the water had hit, Katara had felt a small twinge but not like the kind a bender would use. No, this felt more like….. _someone bending well enough that the water really **is **an extension of themselves. _She realized. For a second, she wondered if the Fire-benders were learning other bending arts, but then something happened that drew such thoughts from her mind.

Aang circled the soldier, dodging the man's attacks with ease. For every blast of fire that was thrown at him, Aang was able to counter with an Airbending move. But then, the young boy saw his opening as he leapt away from an attack. Sokka had clubbed his soldier's hands away from him, injuring the man's fingers. The young warrior instantly drew out his boomerang and tossed it while the solider was incapable of firebending. However, the solider had enough ability left to duck, as the boomerang soared over his head. But the distraction this provided made Aang's slider become distracted for a second. With that second, Aang gathered up a huge stream of air, and spinning around shot it out at his solider. But whatever misfortune had stricken Katara also struck Aang. Instead of striking the soldier, the airstream shot past him. Worse, it interrupted the path of Sokka's boomerang, so that instead of returning to its owner, it clunked him in the head and knocked him unconscious. Aang cried out in surprise, but before he could move to help his friend, he heard Katara cry out behind him. Whiping around, Aang saw Katara in the grasp of Zuko, a fiery fist pointed at her face.

"Your choice, Avatar." Zuko said, his good eye staring right at the Airbender. For a second, Aang's grip on his staff tightened. But then it grew lax, as with a sad and crippling expression, Aang nodded his surrender. The soldiers quickly took his staff and bound his arms. Behind Zuko, the crewman who had reported the incident came herding the two rhinos. As the four Firebenders loaded Aang, Katara, and the unconscious Sokka onto the rhinos, their actions did not go unseen. From a back alley nearby, the blue man and the white man watched the capture of the Avatar.

"Stage 2 is complete." The blue man said, as he spoke into his weapon, a lengthy blue trident, decorated with shells and coral designs. The blue stone in the center of its head glowed, as the voice of the red man came through.

"I'll be waiting." It said. The blue man quickly said a few more words, then broke off communication, as he and his companion watched Zuko speed off with his prizes.


	5. Stage 3: Who Am I?

Chap. 5

Stage 3: What is Honor?

It did not take long for Zuko to return to the ship. This was partly due to the fact that the ship was not far from where the battle had taken place. It was also due to the fact that Zuko rode the rhinos extremely fast to get back to his ship. Once onboard, Zuko leapt of the beast, and quickly aided the other crewman in getting Aang and the others tied up. Zuko also took Aang's staff, Katara's water holder, and Sokka's weapons.

"I don't think you'll need these in the Fire Nation." Zuko said, as he surveyed the prisoners. As he handed over the items, with the instruction that they be placed far from the prisoners, Aang began to speak.

"Zuko, please don't do this. You don't know what giving me to your father will do."

"It will restore my honor and return what was taken from me." Zuko snapped back.

"But it'll also destroy the balance. The world will be inflamed." The young Avatar pleaded.

"That isn't my problem. All I care about is getting my honor back." The banished prince spat back. He turned then, to give more orders to the crew, but then another, angrier voice cut through.

"You haven't learned a thing, have you Zuko?" Katara cried out.

"What are you babbling about, peasant?" Zuko said, whirling around to face his accuser.

"I don't know how you got banished, and I don't really care. But you spent two years seeing the rest of the world. Didn't you see what the Fire Nation did there? The destruction? The people killed?"

"Casualties of war." Zuko replied, though there was a slight tremor in his voice.

"It doesn't matter! You saw all that death and destruction and you don't care! You don't care that people died, or that homes were destroyed. All you care about is your precious honor! You'd hand over the most important person in the world to someone who'll kill him in an instant just for your honor? How good can that honor be if you don't feel even a little pain at the suffering of others? How are you supposed to rule a kingdom when you don't care about anyone else but yourself?"

The crewmen backed away then, fearing Zuko's anger. But instead, Zuko stood there silently, as the girl's outburst ended. When the last of her words had faded. Zuko asked in almost a whisper, "Are you finished?"

Katara shook her head. "My father left home to fight the Fire Nation. My mother died at their hands. And all to fight a lunatic king and his selfish, self-absorbed, ignorant son." Zuko was silent once again, then motioned for the guards to take the prisoners to their cells. The guards obeyed instantly, fearing their prince's eventual outburst. But Zuko simply stood there, only ordering another guard to stand look out in the corridors, should the prisoners escape.

But as that solider left, another appeared to take his place. "Prince Zuko, there is someone here to see you." The soldier said.

"Whoever it is, I don't have the time." Zuko replied, his voice quiet and thoughtful. "I need to get the Avatar back to the Fire-Nation as quickly as possible."

"But my prince, this man says he comes from your father." The guard replied. At that, Suko paused. "Continue." The boy-prince said.

The guard opened his mouth to do so, but before he could he was interrupted. "I would rather explain my presence myself, Prince." Explained a rough voice, as it's master came forward. Zuko turned to face this man, and his eyes promptly shot up. The man before him was of medium height and somewhat thick build. His face was slightly round, with deep eyes that reflected the gold in Zuko's own. The sunlight shone off of the man's shaven head and ponytail and illuminated the red of his uniform, which was the reason Zuko was surprised. For the man was dressed in the uniform of the Firelord's Royal Guard, with his helmet under his arm.

"I was told you come from my father." Zuko replied, keeping his surprise in check. "That I do." The man replied, as he bowed in front of the boy-prince. "My name is Fuego. The Fire-Lord sent me after you long ago."

"What do you mean, after me?" Zuko asked, his apprehension rising up at the man's choice of words. But Fuego only laughed.

"I apologize for my choice of words Prince. Allow me to explain. After your father banished you from the Fire-Nation, he came to feel that he had acted too hastily. But for political reasons, he could not simply restore your rank. Therefore he decided he would make sure that when you did find the Avatar, you would have someone to make sure you succeeded. And now that you have finally captured this boy, I can perform that test."

"I'm not sure I understand. Why do you think I have the Avatar anyway?" Zuko said coyly, still unwary about this man. Yet in his heart, Zuko felt something he had not felt for a long time. He felt a shimmer of hope that perhaps, his father did not think of his only son as a failure. But Zuko knew his father, and he knew that forgiveness was not one of the Fire-Lord's better qualities. Still, Zuko listened on, his face not betraying the hope he felt in his heart.

"There is little about this ship's activities I do not know. You see my prince, for almost the whole of the time you have traveled the world, I have followed you, waiting for the day when you finally captured the Avatar. I only waited for you now so you could safely put the boy in his cell. Now that he is locked away, I can perform my duty."

"What duty would that be?" Zuko asked.

"I am highly studied in the ancient lore of the Fire-Sages. I know how to test this Airbender you have captured, to make sure he is the true Avatar, which is what your father asked of me."

At that, Zuko's eyes narrowed. "This Airbender is the last of his kind. He must be the Avatar."

"He is the last of his kind," Fuego said, nodding in agreement. "But it does not make him the Avatar. He could have simply been frozen in that iceberg by accident."

"Accident? Are you a fool?" Zuko snapped. "What Airbender could have managed to do such a thing? It would require strong Waterbending, a skill he couldn't have learned without being the Avatar!"

But Feugo simply shook his head. "It is possible Prince. An Airbender could create an air bubble under the water; I have read of such things. It could have only been the cold waters that caused it to freeze. And if that is the case, you will only bring your father an Airbender and not the Avatar you need."

"I don't need to hear your foolishness!" Zuko snapped, as he began to turn away. "If you really had followed us, you would have seen his power! You would know that I have the Avatar in my possession, and that I will finally be able to go home." But before the prince could leave, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder.

"I am only a man Prince." Fuego said gently, as he tried to reason with the prince. "I could not always track you, and I will be truthful, I lost you at some points. When I did see the Airbender, I only saw him use Airbending. But that doesn't mean I don't believe you have the Avatar. It is too coincidental that this boy was somehow frozen in the oceans of the North Pole while his people were dying a hundred years ago."

"Then why are you doubting me?" Zuko asked.

"Because I want to make sure you do not fail." Fuego replied. "You have much potential Prince, to become a grand ruler. In the time you spent traveling this world, you have become a great and honorable man. It is in you the Fire Nation places it's hope for the future. But you must do this one thing before you can truly become that hope. Your father has put much faith in you. Don't disappoint him."

Zuko was silent as Fuego finished his words. The Guardsman removed his hand from the boy's solider, waiting for a response. Finally, Zuko spoke. "My father….. said that…. About me?"

"He has never needed to say it." Fuego answered. "It is evident in his actions every day." Zuko was quiet a moment longer, then asked, in a thick voice, "What do you need to do?"

"There is a test I must use on the boy, that will reveal his Avatar power, but I will be able to contain it. However, I must administer it alone. If you wish, you may send some of your crew to stand outside the door though, for your own security." Zuko nodded, and motioned for some of the men to come forward.

"Go with Fuego, and make sure he is not disturbed." The crewmen nodded, and moved to the guard's side. But Fuego stayed a moment longer. As Zuko stared out to the horizon, the guard knew what was going through the boy's soul.

"You will come home soon." Fuego said, his rough voice becoming low and gentle. "And when you do, you shall be magnificent." It was obvious to all that heard them that the words were heartfelt. Whether or not Zuko heard those words was unclear thought. The boy prince stood silently a moment, then shook his head suddenly and walked away. But in that shake, Fuego had seen the sparkle of a falling tear fly into the air. The guard let out a sigh as he watched the prince walk off. "Shall we proceed?" one of the crewmen asked suddenly.

"Yes I think we shall." Fuego replied, as he turned to face the men. "Where is the Avatar being kept?"


	6. The Test

Chap. 6

The Test

The answer to that question was in a cell far below deck. Since he had begun capturing the Avatar, Zuko had prepared for the day when he would finally capture him and return home. To make sure that would happen, Zuko had devised a simple, but effective cell to hold his prize, and in recent times, that prizes' three friends. It was a room with four walls, empty of all things but three sets of chains. Two of them were on the ground, and just long enough to allow a person to stand but not enough to do much else. These two held Katara, and the still- unconscious Sokka.

The final set was located on the wall, high above the ground and made of only four manacle attached to the walls. It was here that Aang was held, with a small gag stuffed into his mouth. This gag kept him from drawing in enough air to bend, but still allowed him to breathe. And with his body so tightly chained, he would not be able to bend the air around him either. For all intents and purposes, it was the perfect cell for Aang.

And Sokka was given a full view of it when in awoke into the cold metal room after everyone had been chained and the guards stationed outside the door.

"Uuh…" he moaned, as he slowly rose his head of the floor.

"Sokka? Are you all right?" said a voice from a distance. "I… think so…" he answered slowly, as he attempted to rise to his feet. But in doing so, Sokka felt a strong pull on his legs that, in his groggy condition, caused him to lose his balance and fall back to the floor.

"What happened?" he asked, as he tried to right himself.

"Zuko captured us." Katara answered sadly.

"What! How!"

"I don't know. Something happened with my bending and then Zuko grabbed me and threatened to kill me if Aang didn't surrender."

"I don't remember that happening, and I think I would." Sokka insisted.

"Well, something went wrong with Aang's bending too, and he kinda knocked you out." At that, Sokka whipped around at Aang, who merely nodded sheepishly. For a second, Sokka's mouth hung open in astonishment, then he let out a cry of frustration. "I knew it! I knew this would happen sooner or later."

"Sokka, I'm sure we can get out of here if we just…."

"What, use some bending! That's what got us into this whole mess! Oh he's the Avatar, Sokka! Oh we have to be great benders Sokka! Great, but you couldn't have learned to at least throw a rock along the way? No, everything has to be _woosh _or _splash _or some other magic."

But while Sokka was filled with anger at what had happened, Katara was in no mood to listen to her brother's speech. "Oh sure Sokka, complain about bending! Everything is bending's fault! Why don't we just get some spears and learn all your immense fighting techniques so we can save the world? Oh wait, you don't have any techniques!"

"Yeah? Well, I have more techniques then you have Waterbending moves! But hey maybe you can splash your way out of here!" The argument went back and forth, while Aang made muffled urges for the two of them to focus on getting out.

But before the argument could continue, the door swung open. The three friends turned and saw a figure standing in the doorway. The shadows covered his body, but they could see that he was of medium height and build, wearing a long brimmed hat. The figure turned to his side and said, "Stay here. Do not come inside unless I call for you."

"Of course." Replied a voice outside the doorway. The figure nodded, and stepped inside the cell, shutting the door behind him. As he stepped into the light of the room's torches, his red outfit became visible which caused all three prisoners eyes to widen. They expected the uniform of a Fire-Nation solider or general. Instead, they saw a man dressed in ragged clothes, boots, gauntlets, and cape, with his lower face covered by wrappings. "What are you supposed to be?" Sokka asked, trying to put on a brave face.

But if the man heard the question, he didn't respond. Instead, he came closer to them, seeming to examine them with his eyes. Finally, he stopped. His face slowly turned from Katara to Sokka. Finally, he spoke.

"You two are siblings, aren't you?" he asked, with a level of warmth in his voice that threw the three friends off. Seeing their surprised expressions, the man chuckled and said, "It isn't that hard to figure out. Two Water-Tribe children who left their home together and have a similar look? Besides, I heard that argument. No one argues as loud or as hard as family."

"What do you want?" Sokka demanded.

"For now, to proceed with a little experiment. And since neither of you are Airbenders, that leaves your companion as the one I need to help to conduct it." With that, the man moved over to where Aang was tied to the wall.

But when the figure saw Aang, his eyes widened behind the wrappings. "You are the Airbender?" he asked with some surprise. Aang nodded as much as his bound head would allow. The man shook his head. "I knew you were young, but I didn't expect this. Ah well, given the Airbender's mistake, this actually makes it more plausible."

At that, Aang's eyes narrowed and he began to mutter something under the gag. "Have I angered you, young one?" the man asked. "What I said was unpleasant, but it was still the truth. Would you like me to explain how?" The man paused, then after not hearing a reply, continued anyway. "To begin, I must introduce myself. My name is Fuego, and I am the most trusted emissary of the ruler of the Fire-Nation. He entrusted me with discovering the identity of the Avatar, and to do, I studied the ancient lore of the Fire Sages, as well as some of the text taken from the Air Temples. You see, I am aware that the Avatar was told of his title at your age, instead of sixteen. I know that afterwards, the young one ran away, unable to comprehend the vastness of his new destiny."

"Don't you judge him!" Katara yelled from her section of the wall. "You don't what it's like to have a destiny that's huge and beyond your control. You have no right to call him a coward!'

"I do know of having a great destiny actually. Therefore Waterbender, I _do_ have the right to judge him. And I don't recall calling your friend a coward." Fuego answered. Katara grew a confused expression on her face, as Fuego continued. "If this boy is the Avatar, then I don't blame him for running. I would have done the same thing."

"Huumph?" said Aang, his eyes wide in surprise.

"The monks were fools to think that a twelve year old boy would simply accept such a great destiny and give up everything he knew and loved. The Avatar may have run away, but the monks' inability to understand him caused it. The Airbenders played as much a part in their own destruction as anyone. Only Gyatso remembered who he was dealing with and what that _boy_ needed, not what the world needed."

"But such things are to be discussed by wiser men then you or I." Fuego said, shrugging his shoulders as he looked up at Aang. "For now, I must fulfill my duty, and make sure that this is indeed the Avatar that stands before me."

"Great idea, just pull that gag out and watch him Airbend. Then you can watch him rip this ship to bits." Sokka said sarcastically.

But Fuego was unfazed. "Airbending alone does not an Avatar make." The strange man replied. "But there is another way. Tell me, young one, do you know of the Avatar State?"

At that, Aang's eyes widened. "You know the words, even though you don't know what they mean." Fuego said. "But you have seen it. So have your friends. When your eyes glow. When you are capable of power you don't understand, but wield with a devastating force."

"You know what that is, don't you?" Katara asked, her curiosity overwhelming her apprehension of Fuego.

"Not as much as you think, I'm afraid." Fuego replied. "What I do know is that it is a defensive mechanism that all Avatars have, which comes involuntarily under the right circumstances."

"Gee, what a _startling_ conclusion." Sokka sneered.

"True, it is not much more then you know." The man admitted, as he backed away from Aang. But it can be quite useful, if one knows what those circumstances are."

"And what are they?" Katara asked, as Fuego turned to the sound of her voice.

"Why two very simple ones my dear." He replied, as he walked over to her. "The Avatar must be in danger that he or she cannot escape from….. or that Avatar must become enraged."

"Now, I don't think endangering him is a good idea." Fuego said, as he looked Katara in the face. "After all, none of us want a beaten Avatar delivered to the Fire-Lord. But if he could be angered….." For a second, the room was silent, then Sokka cried out as Fuego suddenly grabbed Katara's arm, as he pinned her body to the wall. "I have heard that you care for this girl, Airbender." Fuego said, as he looked over at the struggling form of Aang. The boy muttered something that could have been "LET HER GO!" but Fuego paid no notice.

"Let us see just how much you care." With that, Fuego grabbed Katara's shirtsleeve and pulled it up, revealing her bare arm. Pulling off his gauntlet, Fuego then clamped his hand around Katara's arm. The young Waterbender tried to pull away, but the man's grip was too strong. But a second later, it grew much stronger, as Fuego's hand began to glow red. Almost instantly Katara began to scream in pain, as Aang and Sokka's struggles to escape tripled. But despite it all, Fuego remained calm.

"Come on Avatar, save her!" he yelled out to Aang. Turning back to his captive, Fuego saw she had fallen to her knees in pain. Between his fingers, he could see blood begin to ooze out. "You'd best hurry." He whispered, perhaps to himself, perhaps to the boy he was testing. But as he turned to face Aang, Fuego saw that he was struggling against his bonds and gag with the ferocity of a wild animal……..

_And then it happened._


	7. DoubleSided

Chap. 6

Double-Sided

_He is sorry…. _The thought crossed Zuko's mind for almost the hundredth time as he looked out onto the horizon. Since Fuego had gone below deck, Zuko had spent almost the whole time thinking about the words both he and the Water-Tribe girl had said. Part of him was overjoyed that his father truly did love him, that he knew he had erred by banishing his son. But another part, a greater one, was wondering if that love was enough. The girl was right, Zuko had seen much destruction in his travels. But it had horrified him. Back home, he had only heard stories of the Fire Nation's great victories against the enemy nations. But to see the broken skulls on the field of the Earth Kingdom and the drowned bodies of the Water-Tribes…..

And worse still to see the bones of the Air Nomads. For Zuko had, early in his travels journeyed to the Air Temples and seen the destruction there. He had always been told that the Airbenders had been a necessary loss, to keep the Fire Nation safe. But what safety could be gained by killing a nation of monks? _And Father has supported it all._ Zuko thought. _How? Doesn't he realize that no victory is worth a hundred years of death and destruction?_ For a second, Zuko remembered similar words that had forced him to leave his home. But Zuko's sense of honor rose to meet it. _You are right Zuko._ It said to him. _ But perhaps you can be the one to make your father see….._

But Zuko did not get to finish that thought, for suddenly his uncle's voice rang in his ears. "I am sorry to be late Prince." The old general said as he walked up the gangplank. "But the merchants here carry so many different samples of tea."

"It's all right Uncle." Zuko said, absentmindedly. At that, Iroh's eyebrows shot up; he'd been expecting his nephew to fly into a rage. "Zuko has something happened?" he asked.

"We have the Avatar." Zuko replied.

Iroh gasped in shock, then his face changed into a huge grin. "Zuko, congratulations! I always had faith that you could do this!"

"Thank you Uncle." Zuko replied. "The boy is being held in the cell I designed, being tested by Father's tracker, Fuego."

"A tracker?" Iroh asked, his face growing confused.

"Yes Uncle. He said that Father has felt regret over my banishment, and sent this man to make sure we brought the true Avatar back to the Fire Nation." Zuko explained. But Iroh only shook his head.

"Prince Zuko, I am sorry, but I think you have been deceived. If your father had done this, which I doubt he would, I would have been given information about it."

"Perhaps the message didn't reach you." Zuko said, trying to cling to the hope that Fuego's words held.

"Zuko, your father keeps no servant I know of named Fuego."

Upon those words, Zuko's mouth sparked as he gritted his teeth. "He will pay for his deception!" Zuko cried, as he whirled around to enter the hold. But then he felt his uncle's hand on his shoulder.

"Zuko wait. Things may have changed; we have been gone from home a long time. Let us see what this man will do first. He may be telling the truth, but we need to make sure. When the Avatar is involved, we cannot let things enter into chaos."

But Iroh's words were too little, too late. Within seconds the prison room below reached chaos. The air in the cell moved with the fury of a full-fledged hurricane, as Aang fully entered the Avatar State, his eyes and tattoos glowing brightly. The air swirled around him as his enhanced abilities directed it into the inner workings of his manacles. Suddenly, the air inside the locks pushed out, forcing the chains apart. Aang began to hover forward then, his face contorted in rage as he came closer to Fuego, who quickly released Katara's arm. But strangely, the man in red didn't move. He simply stood his ground as Aang came closer.

"I suppose that answers that question." Fuego yelled over the winds, as he looked down at Katara, his voice echoing no concern. "I don't suppose you could tell him to stop?" he asked the young Waterbender, who was still gritting her teeth against the pain of her burn. "No, I suppose you wouldn't right now anyway." Fuego said, as he began to back away from the advancing form of Aang. "Thankfully, I can."

With that, Fuego suddenly began to speak in a strange, harsh-sounding language; "_Alki ninya, myau ei Juea de Darya. Yoluki mu, Avatar. Yoluki mu, Roku." _ Whatever he said was gibberish to Katara and Sokka, but it had a profound affect on Aang. The young Avatar halted in midair, his face becoming neutral as he stared at Fuego. The man in red returned the stare, as he continued to speak. "_Darya y Arcicta hise Jueas yu opet de Avatar. Ese nu opet te newe. Tue hute ey poyo il speste re mi spetelle?" _

Slowly, Aang's head nodded down in response to Fuego's question. "_Gradi."_ Fuego said, accompanied by a sigh of relief. With that, Aang's eyes suddenly eased their way closed, as he left the Avatar State and fell to the ground unconscious. Or would have fallen to the ground, if Fuego had not moved forward to catch him. As the red man gently lay Aang down, he heard Sokka yell out, "What did you do to him?"

"If you've hurt him…" Katara hissed through her pain.

"Not now." Fuego whispered back, as he turned to the door.

"Guards! In here now!" Fuego yelled, as he suddenly gripped Aang's body tightly, making it look as though he was restraining the boy. Almost instantly the door swung open, as the Fire Nation guards Zuko had posted ran in. "What happened? We heard some screaming, and then…" one guard began, but then stopped when he saw Fuego clutching Aang's body.

"It's all right. The test is finished." The red man explained. "This boy is indeed the Avatar."

"What happened in here?" the guard asked.

"I used my knowledge to place him in the Avatar State, a defense mechanism that only the true Avatar has access to. Thankfully, I also knew how to stop him once it happened. Now, help me get him back in his chains."

The guards nodded, and taking Aang from Fuego, they returned him to the manacles on the wall. As they locked them in place once again, Fuego got to his feet and said,

"He'll be unconscious for at least a few more minutes. But it would be disastrous if he becomes a problem at sea. And his friends could give him a solution or the motivation to get out if they are kept together."

"Should we place them in separate cells then?" asked one of the guards. But Fuego shook his head.

"I have a better idea. Go tell the Prince that there will be an execution before we leave today. It'll eliminate our problem and kill the Avatar's drive both at the same time. And take the others with you, so they can set up the chain locks on the deck."

"Of course." The guard replied, as he moved to relay the message. "Are you sure…"

"Don't worry. I'll bring them up, and the Avatar will awaken just in time to see his friends burned alive."

Satisfied, the guards nodded and left the room. Fuego followed them tot eh doorway, and watched as they traveled up the hallway. Once they were out of his sight, the man swung the door shut and turned back to the group. "Works every time. These guys love to see a barbecue." He said, as he moved over to Aang. Looking up at the unconscious Avatar, he spoke in the strange language again; "_Roku, elende spetre._"

With that, Aang suddenly let out a moan, as his eyelids opened. "Glad to see you awake Avatar." Fuego said.

"Oh right, you want him to see us get fried!" Sokka yelled at the red man. That woke Aang right up.

"What is he talking about! What did you do to me!" Before he could continue, Fuego clapped a hand over his mouth.

"What I do and what I say are two different things Avatar." The red man said. "I told them that to get them out of the room. But I don't have any intention of letting it happen. What I do intend, is to get all three of you out of this place and to somewhere you'll be safe."

"Are you insane?" Sokka yelled, as Aang's face simply grew puzzled. "After what you've done to us? Why the hell should we trust you?"

"Because you don't have many options right now." Fuego replied. "And because I can get you out Avatar, if you listen."

"Don't listen, he's lying." Katara said, as she rose to her feet clutching her wounded arm. "He's just saying that so he can confuse you." Fuego's only response was to shake his head.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. But if you give me a minute, I can give even you a reason to trust me."

Fuego moved away from Aang then, and began to walk towards Katara.

"Get away from me!" Katara yelled, as the red man came closer.

"If you touch her…." Sokka warned.

"Calm down." Fuego replied, as he snaked his hand out and grabbed Katara's burnt arm. Gently but firmly, he pulled it towards him, getting a full view of the burnt, cracked, and blistered skin. "Man, I really don't know my own strength." Fuego said sadly. With that, he took his free hand and held it over the burnt area. Katara frantically tried to pull away, expecting him to finish the job. And though a second later, flame did burst down from Fuego's hand, what happened was something that none of the group expected. The flame the appeared was bright yellow, almost gold in complexion. As it ran over the burn, Katara realized that she felt no pain from it. But what was more amazing was that as she watched, the skin under the flame began to change and revert back to normal. The blisters healed, the cracks vanished, and the pain dissipated as the yellow flame did its work. Within seconds, the burn was completely gone and Fuego moved away to show his handiwork.

"Can I be trusted a little now?" he asked, as Katara looked at her arm in amazement.

"How did you…" she began to ask, but Fuego simply said, "There is more to firebending then you think." Katara looked at her arm a moment longer, then said, "All right, I'm listening."

"What!" Sokka yelled out. But once again, Fuego ignored him.

"I apologize for the wound, but I needed to make sure your friend was the Avatar, and the Avatar State is the only way to know for sure. Besides, I would never have done it if I couldn't take it away."

"But what did you do to me?" Aang asked.

"While you're in that State, you are connected to the Spirit World. I took the chance to speak to Avatar Roku."

"You can do that?" Aang sputtered in amazement.

"Yes. And to make sure the guards wouldn't overhear, I spoke in the ancient tongue of the Fire-Nation, which hasn't been spoken in one hundred years. I basically told him who I was, and that I needed him to put you to sleep until I said otherwise."

"And who are you?" Sokka asked.

"I am a part of a very important Knighthood." Fuego replied. "We have many goals, and one of them is to make sure that the Avatar does not fall into the hands of the Fire-Nation. I was sent to test your friend because my fire abilities let me blend in. Plus, I am quite an effective actor."

"So we've seen." Katara said.

"Indeed. Now then, I know how to get you off this ship, but you're going to have to trust me." Aang, Sokka, and Katara looked at each other for a moment, then Aang said, "Well, it isn't like we have much choice. What's your plan?"

"First, we need to get you three out of those chains.' Fuego said. Moving over to where Sokka and Katara were kept, Fuego grabbed their chains and melted through them. As the siblings relished in their freedom, Fuego quickly freed Aang. "Now, there is still one more thing to do." Fuego said, as the three of them gathered around him. "One of the Knights I work with is quite skilled in metalworking. He constructed these for our escape." With a flourish, Fuego drew out two sets of chains, and two sets of manacles from his cape.

"So, we're going to escape by being chained?" Sokka asked.

"Not exactly. The chains are designed to break apart with a little bit of strength. You should be able to get easily. Now then, here's what we're going to do……"


	8. Freedom

Chap. 8

Freedom?

"Are you sure about this Uncle?" Zuko asked once again.

"Fear not nephew. This test has revealed hundreds of traitors. There is no reason it should not work here. All you must do is go along with the plan we devolved." Iroh said.

"Perhaps. But there is something about him…" Zuko began, then quickly shut his mouth as Fuego walked up from the lower deck. In his hands were three sets of chains. Fuego came out of the door, then pausing a moment, gave them a swift tog, pulling the prisoners out. Seeing them out of their cell made Zuko feel even more nervous. He could not imagine the shame of losing the Avatar held captive on his ship twice. But he saw that the boy's gag was still in place and his hands were firmly locked together.

Gaining some reassurance from this, Zuko stepped forward, and said, "I have been told that you believe the boy is the Avatar?"

"Without a doubt, your highness." Fuego replied. "And I have also heard you wish to perform an execution aboard my ship?"

"For safety." Fuego explained. "I fear that the Avatar will gain strength from having his friends with him. But if he is alone, in every sense of the word, then he will break."

Zuko pretended to consider this, but he already knew his answer, just like he had known when his crewman had explained it to him. "I see the wisdom, but I do not think so. These two are simply nothings. I will leave them here, and let them live out their lives with the knowledge of their failure."

At this, Fuego shook his head. "It is noble to have such mercy, Prince, but I must advise against it. These two will not simply leave once you have the Avatar. They will follow you home, and do everything they can to rescue the boy. Let me eliminate them for you."

Zuko paused again, then said, "Very well. They have been quite an annoyance. Guards, prepare the chain locks!" With that, Fuego handed the chains over to two of the guards, who then dragged Sokka and Katara over to two strange machines on the deck, which seemed to resemble snake-bears. As Aang screamed and struggled under his gag and chains, the guards fed Katara and Sokka's chains into the 'snake-bears' 'mouths.' There was a whirring noise and suddenly, Katara and Sokka's chains were pulled tight, locking them into place. "

Allow me." Fuego said, as he stepped in front of the two Water-tribesmen, already moving into an attack stance.

But as Fuego prepared to fire, he heard a voice say behind him, "Perhaps we should not be so hasty." Fuego turned to see Iroh standing next to Zuko.

"Ah, General Iroh. It is an honor to finally meet you. Your reputation is well-known."

"I am glad I am still remembered well back home." Iroh replied. "But truthfully, I am somewhat surprised by it."

Fuego nodded, and said, "Your brother has admitted to being…. Stern in the past. But losing his own son for so long has given him perspective."

"I am… happy that my brother has gained such wisdom." Iroh replied, though it was obvious he was slightly surprised. "Although I believe that you should attempt to develop some of your own."

"What do you mean?" Fuego asked.

"Killing these two children may enrage the Avatar, instead of breaking him as you hope."

"Perhaps, but I would think the safety out ways the risk." Fuego said.

"Not with the Avatar's power." Iroh said. "Such recklessness should not be allowed. I would think that the Fire Nation Army would train you better."

"Sadly, the army did not train me sir. I was instructed by a far greater instructor then any in the army." Some of the crew seemed surprised at that, but Iroh's face did not change.

"And what was this instructor's name?"

"Oh he was a local in my village sir. You would not know him."

"Oh I might. What village did you come from?"

"I came from Onasi."

At that, Iroh stroked his beard and said, "Well that is strange. Only one master ever came from that village. And I do not think Jeong-Jeong would ever train another student. So, who trained you, really?"

At such a question, some might have appeared nervous. Some might have begun to falter. But Fuego was different. He paused a minute then shook his head with a chuckle. "I should have known not to put anything past you Iroh. Ah well." With that, Fuego suddenly fell to the ground and spin kicked low, knocking both Iroh and Zuko off their feet.

"Now guys!" he yelled over to the captive heroes. Nodding, Aang and the others quickly shattered their fake chains, and with a burst of air, Aang blew the nearby guards out of their way.

"Fuego, where did they put our weapons?" Sokka yelled out, as the other guards on deck quickly began to attack.

"Zuko kept them in the shed by the command deck!" Fuego yelled out, as he saw two more guards running towards him. Underneath his wrappings, he smiled. Dropping to one knee, Fuego held out his arms and ignited his firebending, as his arms suddenly went ablaze. As the guards closed in a second later, the red man suddenly sprang forward, spinning around in a whirlwind of fire. The guards instinctively ducked, but it didn't make a difference as Fuego suddenly leapt up over their heads. He landed behind them and before they could turn around, he shot out two fireblasts, knocking the two guards to the ground. Seeing that he was safe, Fuego turned to check on the others. The children had already reached the shed, and while Aang and Katara used their bending to keep the guards at bay, Sokka was smashing the lock with a recently begotten helmet.

"Not bad, for kids." Fuego said, as he began to move over to aid them. But before he had walked two steps, the ground in front of him ignited into a wall of fire. Pausing, Fuego turned to see the enraged form of Prince Zuko standing in front of him. Behind Zuko, Iroh was standing still, watching the battle, but keeping his eyes mostly on Fuego, waiting to see his move. This did not surprise Fuego. He truly did have respect for the former general and had studied much of Iroh's battle strategies. He knew that Iroh would observe an enemy before all else, making sure he knew exactly who he was fighting, including their strengths and limits. _Of course, I doubt he'll learn **everything** about me just yet. _Fuego thought, as he refocused on Zuko. The red man had also studied much on Zuko, and he knew that the boy-prince had a swift temper, made swifter by the years he'd spent banished. _I'll have to remember to thank his daddy for that. _Fuego thought grimly as he tried to reason with Zuko.

"You don't want to do this Prince." The red man said, as he looked upon the boy.

"Yes I do! You lied to me!" Zuko screamed, as his fist ignited. But Fuego just shook his head.

"The words I spoke did not come from your father. But that does not make them any less true." He replied calmly. "You have the potential, the strength, the wisdom that your father does not have and never will. Don't throw it away."

But his words fell on deaf ears. Zuko let out a scream of rage and shot a huge blast of fire straight at Fuego. Yet the man made no effort to dodge it, but merely stood there as the fire impacted on his body. The firelight it created was blinding, as all who saw it were forced to shield their eyes. Aang's face contorted in a mask of horror at the loss of another ally. Katara and Sokka simply stared in shock. Zuko's rage filled expression suddenly vanished, as he realized what he had done. He had wanted to stop Fuego, and bring him to justice. There had been no need to kill him. But a second later, Zuko's shock doubled.

When the flames vanished, Fuego was still there. But it was a different Fuego for Zuko, who had only seen him as a member of the Royal Guard. But now, Zuko saw the ragged, masked man that Aang and the others had seen. But he also saw a man who was totally untouched by the flames that had been hurled at him. His clothes were unmarked and didn't even seem singed. Fuego spent a second looking at himself, then raised up his head and looked at Zuko. "I hope you have more then that."

Zuko's response was another fire burst, but this time, it did not even reach Fuego. The red man simply put up his hand, and the flames stopped in mid air. As Zuko stared in amazement, Fuego gently moved his fingers and the flames coalesced into a small fireball that moved into the palm of his hand.

As he looked at it, Fuego said, "I am not your enemy Prince. But I have a mission, the same as you. And because of that, I cannot let you have the Avatar. You will let us go now. You will do this because there is nothing you or any of your crew can do to hurt us. But after that, you are free to try to capture the boy. Because in that quest Zuko, you will find your freedom from your anger and pride. In that search Zuko, you will know who you are, and what your destiny is."

With that, Fuego brought his hand into a fist, extinguishing the fireball. Fuego turned around then, and began to walk towards Aang, Katara, and Sokka. The firewall Zuko had created was still there, but now, Fuego simply walked forward and emerged untouched, to the shock of the guards, who in fear, backed away from him. The boy-prince simply stood there, his face in total shock at what had been said to him. But gradually the shock gave way to anger. Banished or not, Zuko was the crown prince of the Fire Nation. No lying traitor had the right to tell him what to do. Gathering his energies, Zuko suddenly stepped forward and bending into the proper stance, prepared to engulf this strange, insulting man in flame.

Or rather, he would have if flame had burst forth from his hand. But instead, Zuko felt the fire energy within him freeze in place, unable to move forward. As he stared at his hands in frightened bewilderment, Fuego said, "Don't bother trying to firebend. Right now it's a power that's out of your hands. That goes for all of you." Fuego said, as he reached the guards surrounding Aang and the others.

At the sight of this strange man, who seemed more powerful then any of them and had apparently disarmed Prince Zuko, the guards quickly moved away. Fuego walked up to the shed, which Sokka had almost forced open and placed his hands on the handles. Then with a grunt, he pulled back and the doors all but flew off the shed, landing at least five feet back on the deck. Sokka's jaw dropped at that, for such raw strength amazed him as much as Fuego's strange firebending amazed the benders on board.

Wordlessly, Fuego reached into the shed and with a few minutes, dug out Aang's staff, Katara's water-holder, and Sokka's boomerang. Handing them out to his companions, Fuego rose up, turned back to the assembled crew, and said, "On behalf of myself, and my friends, I would like to thank you for your hospitality and warmth, and wish you luck on all your future endeavors. Farewell."

But as Fuego said those words, he heard a soft chuckle. Pausing, he looked over and saw the smiling face of Iroh. "Something amuses you general?" he asked.

"That it does. You see, you are not going to be leaving as soon as you think."

"And why do you say that?" Katara asked, wondering what this old man could know or do that would make him a threat.

"It is simple. Fuego has restricted firebending on the ship, correct?" Iroh asked. The man in red nodded his reply.

"That is not the only power we have on board." With that, Iroh suddenly drew back, and as the air began to crackle around him, Fuego's eyes suddenly opened wide. "DUCK!" he yelled, as he pulled Aang and the others down, just as the lighting from Iroh sprayed over their heads.

"Damn, I forgot he could do that." Fuego breathed, as he quickly got back to his feet.

"Can't you control it, like the others?" Aang asked.

"No, lighting is out of my jurisdiction." Fuego replied.

"How good are you and the Waterbender?" he asked. "Pretty good, but aren't you…."

"Yes, but I'll need your help. If I use my full power, I risk losing my hold on the crew."

"Then we'd better get ready." Aang said, as he looked over at Katara, who had already loosened the cork of her water-holder. Nodding, Fuego reached behind his back into the folds of his cape. Then he pulled back, drawing something out of it. A second later, he had fully withdrawn the object, and held it in both hands. It was a long spear, its tip bright crimson. The weapon's body was composed of strong-looking wood, and connecting the tip to the body was a metal guard shaped in a wing-like flame shape. In the center of the guard was a large red gemstone.

As Iroh looked over the group assembled before him, he said, "I see this shall be quite a battle." "I'd say so. A great Fire Nation general versus three different benders." Fuego said.

"_Ahem!"_

"_And _a kid with a boomerang." Fuego corrected himself, as Sokka stepped up.

"Interesting indeed. Let us begin." Iroh said, as he drew himself into a fighting stance.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Fuego immediately got into their own stances, ready to fight. And they would have, if not for a strange glow that came from Fuego's spear-stone. Looking at it, the red man nodded, and turning back to Iroh, said "Another time."

With that, he suddenly ran for the deck and reaching the guardrail, suddenly leapt over it.

"Strange opening move." Iroh said, as he looked over at the deck. But a second later, that move was explained as a huge white mass suddenly shot over the deck, blowing most of the soldiers and Iroh back. The mass landed and with a roar lashed out with it's tail and knocked back the rest of the soldiers. "You have a good beast here, Avatar!" Fuego yelled, as he stood up on Appa's neck.

"How'd you get him here?" Aang asked in happy amazement, as he and the others quickly climbed on board, Momo greeting them with happy squeaks. "I have friends in high places." Was the cryptic reply. Turning back to the dissembled crew, Fuego found the form of Iroh. As the general got back to his feet, Fuego held his palm up, and moved the fingers up and down in a 'bye-bye' gesture. But in that gesture, something glistened on his open palm. Most of the crew saw it, but none could make it out except for Iroh, and its result was tremendous. The general's eyes widened in shock, and he actually backed away from the group. Nodding, Fuego cracked the reins and with a cry of "Yip-Yip!" sent Appa flying into the air, far from the grasp of Zuko once again.


	9. Trust

Chap. 9

Trust

The bison shot out over the ocean, passing the town within seconds. As both it and Zuko's ship faded into the distance, Fuego looked over his shoulder carefully, as if he expected Zuko to appear over the horizon at any second. But finally, he decided that they had gotten far enough, and pulling on the reins, slowed Appa. "Everybody ok?" he asked as he turned to look into the saddle.

"I think I left my lunch back there." Sokka moaned as he hung over the side of the saddle. "Sorry, but it could've been worse." Fuego replied.

"I have to admit, that was a pretty clever plan." Katara said, as she tried to comfort Sokka. "I thought you were crazy when you jumped overboard though. But I'm guessing you were going for that effect."

"Well, more or less." Fuego replied. "I kinda just hoped the bison would be by that side of the deck when I jumped." Katara raised both eyebrows at that, but Aang jumped into the conversation before Fuego had to defend himself

"But how did you know how to make Appa fly? And how did your friends get him here?" the young Avatar asked, as Sokka let out a loud hack and a splattering sound.

Fuego grimaced, then replied, "Well, I've done some study on flying bison and how they were tamed. But as for my friends, you'll have to wait to ask about them. Now, on to more pressing matters. Where are you guys headed anyway?"

"The North Pole. Katara and I are looking for a Master Waterbender there." Aang replied.

"Good thinking. After tomorrow, we'll get back on track for that." Fuego said, as he steered Appa to the east.

"Why do we have to wait until tomorrow?" Sokka asked, the strength and suspicion coming back into his voice.

"My friends and I organized a meeting place for after I freed you." Fuego replied. "It's on an island that's about a day's journey from the town. But on your bison, we should make it in only a few hours. Once we get there, we'll meet up with them and head to the North Pole. Sound ok?"

"Uh sure." Aang replied, though he looked at both Katara and Sokka with a suspicious expression on his face. Katara didn't echo that look, but Sokka simply motioned for them to gather around him, which they promptly did.

"I told you!" Sokka whispered fiercely once the others were close enough. "He's leading us into a trap."

"We don't know that." Katara whispered back. "He might very well be telling the truth. And besides you heard his story. Why would he take us to the Fire Nation if he wants to keep Aang away from them?"

"Because he made that whole thing up!" Sokka snapped back. "He probably works for some other guy who wants Aang and paid him to get him away from Zuko."

"But Sokka, even if that was true, how'd he get Appa here?" Aang asked. "Appa wouldn't let anyone evil ride him, it's in his nature. If he trusts Fuego, maybe we should too. Besides, we could use him. I'm gonna need to learn Firebending eventually, and if we travel with a Firebender, that could make things a lot easier."

"You want what?" Sokka asked incredulously. "I'm not even sure we should let this guy be with us for a day, and you're talking about letting him be with us from now on? Gimme one good reason we should even consider it."

"I would've hoped I'd earned one by now." Came a voice from nowhere. They quickly turned to see Fuego hop into the saddle.

Sitting down, he took a look at Sokka and asked, "You don't trust me because I'm a Firebender or because of what I did to your sister?"

"Pick one." Sokka replied, crossing his arms across his chest.

Nodding, Fuego said, "I can't blame you. All those months of being tracked by the Fire Nation, the attacks on the other Nations, it's no wonder you hate them. But I'm not like them."

"Right. That's why you worked with them, and why you burned my sister to find out who the Avatar is." Sokka answered back.

"I healed her. And believe me, I hate what the Fire Nation's become as much as you do. They used to have honor. They used to understand the balance. Now all they are is a pack of rabid dogs, snapping and growling at their own people and everyone else to get what they want."

"And what makes you different?" Sokka asked.

"He did save us from Zuko just now." Katara replied.

"Thank you." Fuego answered. "But if that's not enough kid, I'm not one of them because I don't come from the Fire Nation."

At that, everyone's eyes focused on the red man. "But if you're not from the Fire Nation, how did you learn firebending?" Aang asked.

"My father taught me. He used to love the Fire Nation, called it his home. But when he saw what was happening there, he became disgusted and left for the Earth Kingdom. When I was ready, he taught me firebending and made me promise to redeem his homeland."

"What do you mean he saw what was happening?" Katara asked. "The war's been going on for a hundred years."

"True, but things are worse now. The last Firelord, Azulon had some semblance of honor. He actually regretted the destruction of the Airbenders, because he knew that the world needed all four Nations to keep it balanced. He wanted to imprison the Avatar, or convince him that the Fire Nation was right and gain his aid. Azulon only wanted to rule the other Nations, not destroy them. But Ozai doesn't care. He'd burn down Ba Sing Se so he could rule over the husk. But I'll die before I ever let that happen."

As he ended, Fuego's eyes took on a look of such fierce determination that even Sokka was taken aback. But a second later, that determination vanished, as his eyes became humble. "Look I know that these are all just words, and that it looks like I could very well be leading you into a trap. But I would like for you to trust me, as much as you feel you can. And I know we got off badly, but maybe we should start over? I would like to know your names after all."

The others were silent a moment, then Katara said, "I think you've earned a chance."

"Then allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Fuego, firebender and most excellent actor, cook, and pathetically inverted bookworm." Said the red man, as he bent down and doffed his hat.

Katara giggled and said, "My name's Katara. This is Sokka and Aang.", pointing at each one to identify them. Fuego bent to each of them as well, then turned back to the girl. "If you know how to keep your brother in line, you must've earned that name."

At that, Katara raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" Fuego asked in surprise. "In the language of the Water-Tribe, Katara means 'the wise one.'"

"Really?" Katara asked, with a sly look over at Sokka.

"Yeah. But since everybody speaks the common tongue now, most people have forgotten their culture's languages."

"So how do you know them?" Sokka asked, with no malice in his voice now, merely curiosity.

"The Fire Sages had books on everything. When I heard the Avatar was around, I lied my way into the Temple and read most of them for info. Of course, I couldn't help learning a few other things, including a language or two. I even know the old Air Nomad language."

"So, do you know what my name means?" Sokka asked, cutting off Aang who was emphatically waving his hand. Fuego placed his hand on his chin and began to ponder. "Hmm.. Sokka…Sokka…"

"I'm sure it means 'mighty warrior or something." Said Sokka, as he began to strike heroic poses, to the exasperation of Katara. After a moment, Fuego suddenly chuckled and said, "Sorry to disappoint. But Sokka means 'headstrong.'" Sokka's pose immediately deflated as Katara and Aang both began to laugh.

"I'm guessing it fits you." Fuego said, as Sokka began to sit down and mutter. "And do you want to know too, young Avatar?" Fuego asked. Aang swiftly nodded and Fuego quickly began to think. But in less then a second, the red man's eyes widened. "They must've suspected you early on boy. Aang means 'savior.'"

"Are you serious?" Katara asked in amazement, as Aang's eyes widened. "Well, it doesn't actually mean savior." Fuego answered. "The official definition is 'bringer of peace,' but I think savior is good enough, especially nowadays."

Katara nodded, then turned to see Aang take on a rather melancholy expression. "What's wrong, Aang?" she asked, though she had an inkling of what it was.

"Even my name….. I'm always the Avatar, aren't I? I'll never be anything else." Aang replied sadly. Katara started to say something, but before she could, Fuego did.

"It's a heavy burden isn't it?" he asked Aang. "Everyone looking to you to save them, to bring them out of the darkness. You hate it a little bit, don't you?" Aang looked up at that, but Fuego continued. "There's nothing wrong with that hate, Aang. A grown man would have a hard time accepting a destiny like this. But you're only twelve years old, in mind if not body. The only thing to remember is to not let that hate poison you. Hate and envy poisoned the Fire Nation. Hate split the Water Tribes. But what makes a man a man is knowing when to keep his hate inside and when to release it. Remember that, and you will exceed the name of Avatar."

After Fuego finished, there was silence in the saddle. Everyone stared at the red man in amazement for his words. Finally, Aang managed to speak. "You sound like you know about it."

"You have no idea young one." Fuego replied, his voice quiet and thoughtful. Once again, silence filled the saddle, until Katara, who hated uncomfortable silences, thought of a way to break it.

"Fuego….. what does your name mean?" she asked suddenly, looking over at the man in red.

"Me?" he answered in surprise. "Well, it isn't very original."

"Tell us anyway." Katara said, as both Sokka and Aang turned their attention to him. Clearing his throat, Fuego said, "Well, my father took Fuego from an old language he learned about in the Earth Kingdom. It means…. Well, fire."

"Your name means fire?" Sokka asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Dad loved learning languages. It's probably where I got it from." Fuego replied. "Of course, I got him in trouble a couple of times. Once when he was in the market, he asked for a shovel and hoe and said something in an old Earth Kingdom language."

"What did he say?" Aang asked. "I don't know. But when he got home that day, he'd been tarred, feathered, and stripped of all his clothes." Fuego replied. Later, he thought he'd asked if the man had any chickenfeed for sale."

"Chickenfeed?" asked Katara. "Either that, or if the man's wife was open for business." Fuego added. For a second, that hung in the air, and then the joke broke. Sokka quickly started laughing, to be joined by Katara and Aang. Finally Fuego joined in, laughing at the old story as the group sped on towards their destination.


	10. Lies

* * *

Chap. 10

Lies

While Appa and his passengers sped onwards towards Fuego's island, Zuko paced within his cabin, angrily trying to decide his next move. Ideally, Zuko would have been on the seas, following the trail of the Avatar. But in the commotion of the escape, none of the crew had been able to get a clear view of where the bison had been heading, since Fuego had instantly flown it upwards into the clouds. Since then, Zuko had sent out several smaller scout boats, hoping that one of them would find the Avatar. But all of them had sent back messenger hawks stating that the skies were empty. Which meant that either they had already gotten to a new location or Fuego was riding the bison too high for the scouts to see.

_Fuego…._ Just the very thought of that name send Zuko into a rage. Crying out in frustration, he slammed a fiery fist into the wall, denting it as well as scorching the metal. _I was so close. _Zuko thought angrily as he resumed his pacing. _The Avatar was on my ship, in my cell, and that traitor got him out. He lied to me and took away my chance to regain my honor. When I get my hands on him…_

But Zuko didn't get to finish that thought, as his door suddenly opened. Whirling around, he began to yell "Get out!" but stopped when he saw Iroh entering the room. "What is it Uncle?" the boy prince asked, hoping to hear good news.

"Nephew, I must speak to you about this pursuit of the Avatar." Iroh said, as he sat down heavily on Zuko's bed.

"Why? Has there been news? Has he been spotted?" Zuko asked.

"No. And that is why I must speak with you. We do not have the Avatar's trail. And I think that it may be best it remain that way."

Zuko instantly took a step back, his face ravaged with shock and anger. Iroh had traveled with him since his banishment from the Fire Nation. Despite his cautious nature about sightings over the years, Iroh had never suggested abandoning the search. "Uncle, how can you say this? The Avatar is my only chance to go home. I spent the last two years searching for him, and now you want me to give him up? Why are you afraid of him all of a sudden?"

Iroh shook his head and said, "It is not the Avatar I fear Nephew. It is the man he travels with."

"Fuego…" Zuko breathed, his hands already smoking at the utterance of the name. "I will destroy that traitor Uncle. There is no reason for you to fear him."

"Yes there is Nephew. You speak of Fuego as if he were a normal man. But he is not."

"He may be a powerful Firebender, but…."

"No Zuko. I did not mean that. I meant that Fuego may be too powerful for us to defeat, not only because of his skill, but because I do not think he _is_ a man at all….

* * *

"Well, we're here." Fuego said, as he guided Appa onto the soft sands of the island beach. The group had managed to make excellent time in their travels, and had reached the crescent shaped island at just about sundown. From the sky, the isle had seemed quite small, but as they got closer, Aang and the others saw it was about the size of a small Earth Kingdom town, covered in jungle vegetation. As Appa came to a halt, Sokka almost instantly leapt off, always happy to be back on the ground.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Aang asked, as he exited as well. "It looks like it's deserted."

"Don't worry about it." Fuego said, as he walked up next to the boy. "My friends said that they wouldn't be here till tomorrow. Remember, they have to get a boat like everyone else, and it's at least a day's travel here from the town."

"So what do we do until then?" Katara asked, as she looked around. This island was quite different from the barren wastelands of the South Pole, and Katara was already eager to explore it and see what kinds of vegetation and life there was here.

However, Fuego killed that idea when he replied, "Well, you guys can set up camp, since it's your stuff anyway."

"And what are you going to do?" Sokka asked, annoyed by Fuego's seeming laziness. But a second later, Sokka' annoyance vanished when the red man replied, "I'm gonna go catch us dinner. Do you want meat or veggies?"

"I'd like meat, meat, and meat again." Sokka replied, happy that someone else was going to do the hunting for once. Fuego nodded, then asked Aang and Katara the same question. Katara didn't have preference, but Aang instantly requested anything non-meat.

"Right, I forgot the monk thing." Fuego said, as he withdrew his spear from the folds of his cape. Turning to face the jungle landscape, he said, "I'll be back in about an hour. You can explore if you want, but if you go into the jungle, don't leave sight of the camp. I don't want any of you to get lost."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Katara assured him. Nodding, Fuego turned and headed into the jungle as the others started to unpack Appa's saddle.

* * *

Zuko wasn't sure what he had expected to hear from Iroh, but it had been in the area of tea or Fire Nation borders. However, suggesting Fuego's lack of humanity was not one of them. It seemed almost ludicrous, to suggest that Fuego was anything more then a man, no matter how skilled he was. Still, Zuko had enough respect for his uncle to inquire as to why he had this belief.

In response, Iroh asked, "Did you see the mark on the palm of his hand?"

"Barely. The light kept me from getting a good look at it." Zuko replied.

"I saw it. I saw it as clearly as I see you now, Zuko." Iroh replied. "You see, I saw it a long time ago…. In the Spirit World."

Now Zuko was truly shocked. Iroh's journey to the spirit world for the soul of his son had become one of the Fire Nation's oldest stories. Some considered truth, others a myth, spread by the Royal Family to add to their propaganda. Ozai had always regarded it as rubbish, and Iroh himself never spoke of it. So for him to verify it now was a major revelation, but how could it relate to Fuego? Curious, Zuko motioned for his uncle to continue.

"It was many years ago, that I journeyed to the Spirit World. I was a different man then. My grief and anguish at the loss of Lu Ten was consuming me. The Fire Sages teach us that the Spirit World is beyond the power of any living person to affect. But in my grief, I didn't care. I battered down the barriers that divided our worlds and traveled the Spirit World, searching for Lu Ten. I foolishly thought I could force the spirits to give him back to me. That arrogance nearly led to my downfall."

"I discovered a cave, leading down into the earth. I heard Lu Ten call out to me, and entered it, hoping to finally save my son. But it was a trick. Inside that hole was a demon named Koh, the Face Stealer. He had stolen Lu Ten's face and used it to trap me in his hole. In my grief-ridden state, I gave him the tools he needed to take my face, and he attacked. I tried to escape, but I couldn't reach the exit fast enough. Koh grabbed my leg and tried to pull me back. But before he could, fire suddenly shot down the hole, forcing him back. A hand reached down and pulled me out. As I got to my feet outside the hole, I saw the face of my rescuer….."

"Who was it Uncle?" Zuko asked, his anger at the Avatar situation forgotten as he had become caught up in his uncle's tale.

Iroh paused for breath, then continued with his tale. "He was a muscular man, dressed in red robes and a hood. When I looked up at him, he pulled back the hood and revealed a hard, chisled face with a short white beard. For a second, I did not recognize him, but then I remembered my teachings. I realized that this man was none other the Fire God himself." Iroh paused to let Zuko soak in his words, and then continued.

"I instantly fell to my knees in worship. But the Fire God told me to rise. He said that none of his people had ever managed to break into the Spirit World before. Thinking I had earned his favor, I begged him to give me back Lu Ten. But the Fire God said that life and death were out of his power to affect. He said that Lu Ten's destiny had been fulfilled and that he was at peace. The Fire God also swore that Koh would be forced to give up his newest face, and Lu Ten would find happiness in the Spirit World. As he spoke, he laid his hands on my shoulder, and my grief, my anguish, all faded away. I felt peaceful for the first time since Lu Ten's death. The Fire God told me I had earned his favor and respect and as a reward, knowledge of the Spirit World was given to me, so that I would always see it's power in my own world. He returned me home, and told me to live the rest of my life in honor of the Spirit World, and to remember the true honor of my homeland."

Iroh ended his tale, and lowered his head, overcome with the memories of the past. Zuko was amazed as well, but as the tale ended, the knowledge of his duty returned to him. "Uncle, this is amazing." He said respectfully. "But what does it have to do with Fuego?"

Iroh looked up then, and said, "The Fire God wore a pendant, emblazoned with his symbol. For most of the Fire Nation's existence, that symbol had been on our flags and banners. Your great-grandfather changed it to represent his comet. Originally, the center flame was straight and pointed upwards. Sozen curved it to represent the comet's tail. But Fuego had that unaltered image emblazoned on his hand."

"So you think…." Zuko began to say, but Iroh finished it.

"That Fuego is a servant of the Fire God. And it is more then the hand, Zuko. His skill is beyond impossible to attain. A Master Firebender cannot call the flame to him, or remain unsigned by its touch. Yet Fuego has done these things. His connection to the fire and his mark may make him a divine servant of the Fire God. And if the Fire God's servant has freed the Avatar, it may be that we are not meant to capture him."

* * *

"How long has he been gone?" Sokka asked, as he looked into the jungle. "I'd guess about forty minutes or so." Aang replied, as he played with Momo. "But I'm hungry now! What's taking him so long?" Sokka moaned.

"Gee, you actually believe that he's gone to get food? I figured you'd be suspecting him of calling the Fire Nation by now." Katara replied sarcastically.

Sokka turned and staring at his sister, said quite firmly, "He's bringing me meat. Don't mock his noble intentions. Besides, we did our part." He finished, gesturing to the completed campsite.

"Sokka, you know hunting is hard. Give him some time. Besides, I seem to recall us getting captured the last time you were hungry." Katara commented. Sokka opened his mouth to retort, but promptly shut it.

Suddenly, there was rustling in the bushes behind them. The group quickly turned around, only to see Fuego stomping his way out of the jungle. The red man carried a slain wild pig over one shoulder and on the other was his removed cape, which was tied into a bundle and bulging with foodstuff. "Anybody hungry?" he asked.

Sokka immediately made a dash for the pig, but before he could reach it, Fuego grabbed him and held him back. "Hang on bro, you'll get your chow. But I think you'd like it cooked first." The red man explained.

"But we don't have a big enough fire." Katara said, gesturing to the small fire that the group had built more for light in the darkening day then anything else. But Fuego only laughed.

"Leave that to me. Do you at least have something that can serve as a plate?"  
"Sure, hold on a second." Aang said, as he all but dove into the pile of stuff unloaded from Appa. A few moments later, he remerged carrying a large shield.

"Where the heck did you get that?" Fuego asked as Aang brought the shield over to him. "King Bumi gave it to us." Katara answered. "I've heard of him. Is he as crazy as they say?" Fuego asked. The response was a collective shrug of the shoulders in the universal 'pretty much' gesture.

"I thought so. Well, this will do." The red man said, as he took the shield from Aang and laid it flat on the ground. Motioning for the others to stand back, Fuego placed his cape on the ground and grasping the pig with both hands, suddenly threw it up into the air. Sokka immediately went pale, envisioning the horrible waste of food. But Fuego grabbed his spear and pointed it upwards. Suddenly, the tip began to glow a fiery red. Fuego then slashed at the air with the spear and sent a thick sliver of fire shot upwards. Fuego repeated the motion three times, and then halted. Suddenly, three steaming, juicy steaks fell into the shield, followed by the legs, tail, and head of the pig, which landed around the shield. As Sokka's mouth began to water fiercely, Fuego raised his hand to ask for more time.

Moving over to the bulging cape, Fuego undid the knot and pulled it apart, revealing its cargo; coconuts. "You'll love these." Fuego said, as he pulled his cape up and reattached it to his shoulders. Using his spear, the red man separated the coconts into two piles. Moving back, Fuego called the flame to hus hands once again. Both hands blazing, he let loose a fire blast from one hand that fried the coconut pile instantly. From the other, he released a more gentle flame, that seemed to warm the pile. Finally, he extinguished both flames, and walked over to the piles, taking a coconut from each one.

Turning back to the others, Fuego walked over to the fire and sat down, motioning for the others to follow his example. Shrugging, Aang and the others joined him, though Sokka dragged the shield full of meat along with him. Once they were seated, Fuego cracked a coconut on a nearby rock and handed it to Aang. Thankfully, it was only warm when Aang held it, instead of boiling hot. Fuego then reached into his cape and withdrew, with a mighty flourish…..

"It's a spoon." Aang said noncommittally when he looked at the object.

"Trust me, you don't want to eat this with your fingers." Fuego replied. "Don't worry, there's nothing better then deep-fried coconut." Aang looked down at the white 'meat' of the nut with suspicion, but took the spoon anyway. Gently scraping it out, Aang slowly put some 'meat' into his mouth and chewed. A second later, he was practically diving into it, eating with extreme relish.

"I knew he'd like it." Fuego said, as he used his spear to pop a hole into the other coconut. "Milk?" he asked Katara, holding the coconut out to her. Smiling, Katara received it and took a long swig of the sweet milk inside the coconut. Sokka however, was already ripping into the meat, and had as soon as Aang had begun eating. Smling under his wrappings, Fuego took his own hunk of meat and began to eat.

The meal lasted for quite a while, long after the sun had finished setting. And once Sokka had filled his hunger for meat, he began telling Fuego about all the great adventures that the group had been on. Of course, he had to be corrected by Katara and Aang at a few parts, epically when he said that he had been the one to free Aang, and had soundly defeated Zuko when he came to their village.

"Impressive. I wouldn't think an inexperienced Water-Tribesman could defeat a trained warrior-prince." Fuego said, with a light hint of sarcasm as Sokka finished his story.

"Just a sign of my skill I guess." Said Sokka, as he put his arms behind his head.

Turning to Katara and Aang, Fuego asked, "He didn't land a single blow, did he?"

"No. Zuko took him to the ground every time." Katara said with a laugh.

At that, Sokka quickly tried to defend himself. "It was part of my strategy. I was going to tire him out with a bunch of charges, then attack when he was exhausted."

"Sokka, don't feel too bad." Fuego said with a laugh. "Zuko had some of the nest teachers in the Fire Nation. It would've been a miracle if you'd beaten him."

Unfortunately, that was the wrong thing to say to the proud Sokka. "Oh big deal, he got his parents to find people to teach him! You know what, I taught myself! I didn't even have my father around to help me, and I had to protect an entire tribe! Zuko's never had to struggle like that!" But when Sokka finished, _he _realized he'd made a mistake. Fuego's eyes had taken on an angry, dark look, and when he spoke to Sokka, his voice was so cold, he never would have passed for a Firebender.

"Don't mock him. You don't understand what he's been through."

"_What he's been through?"_ Sokka cried out in shock. "He's a royal prince of the most psychotic nation in the world! He's probably had everything he's ever wanted, on the backs of others' hard work."

"He hasn't had the advantage you've had." Fuego replied back.

"Advantage? He lived in a palace, he's going to have his own country someday, and he doesn't care about anyone. What advantage do we have?"

"You know your parents love you." Fuego said simply, as he began to resume eating what was left of his meal. But a statement like that doesn't go unnoticed, especially by three pre teens.

"Zuko's parent's don't love him?" Aang asked curiously. Sighing, Fuego put down his meal and said, "His mother did. But she died when he was eight. Since then, he's had to deal with his father. You see, even thought Zuko is the heir apparent to the throne, he is not the favored child. He has a younger sister, Azula, that the Fire Lord prefers. She's a firebending prodigy, whose cruelty is only matched by her father. Ozai said that she was born lucky, while Zuko was lucky to be born."

"Oh big deal, Zuko has daddy issues. Am I supposed to feel sorry for him now?" Sokka snapped, his hatred for Zuko still unchanged. "You might if you heard the whole thing." Fuego replied.

"About two years ago, the Fire Lord held a war council to discuss an advancing Earth Kingdom battalion. Zuko was too young to attend, but he convinced his uncle to let him in so he could start learning about military strategy in preparation for the throne. However, Zuko was told not to speak out. Anyway, one of the generals suggested using a division called the 31st as a diversion. But it was made up entirely of new troops that would be killed almost instantly. Zuko was horrified and broke his promise, asking how they could betray soldiers who loved and defended their home. He was right, but it didn't matter. The Fire Lord was outraged, and called Zuko's outburst a sign of total disrespect. The only way Zuko could salvage his honor was through Agnai Kai- a fire duel."

"So his father made him fight the general?" Katara asked.

"That's what Zuko thought would happen. He accepted the duel, and made the greatest mistake of his life. Though he had insulted the general, Zuko had done it in his father's war room. Therefore, he had to duel…."

"The Fire Lord." Aang said with a gasp.

Fuego nodded. "When Zuko realized it, he begged for mercy and forgiveness, unable to strike down his own father. We would see that as the love of a son for his father. But the Fire Lord saw it as an act of unforgivable weakness, and to punish Zuko…."

Fuego paused then, as if unable to say the words. The others looked on in suspense, waiting to hear what happened next, though none of them believed they would enjoy hearing it. Finally, Fuego raised his hand. Looking at it in the darkness, he closed his eyes, and it suddenly burst into flame. As the others watched, transfixed by their curiosity, Fuego suddenly brought his fiery hand back, and slapped it onto his face over his left eye. Katara cried out in shock and both Aang and Sokka jumped back. Fuego extinguished the flame then, and pulled his hand back, revealing an undamaged face. But the message had gotten across.

"Zuko's _father _scarred him?" Aang spat out in horror. Fuego nodded, as he saw that even Sokka's face was filled at revulsion at this news.

"Yes. And afterwards, Ozai stripped Zuko of his honor and birthright, and banished him from the Fire Nation. The only way he could return was to capture the Avatar. Everyone else saw it as the fool's quest that it was, but Zuko dedicated himself, body and soul to the task. He searched the world for two years, until Aang woke up in the South Pole."

"That's why he's so obsessed with capturing me." Aang said thoughtfully. "I'm his only chance to go home."

But Fuego shook his head. "No you're not. The Fire Lord does not forgive or forget. He will never allow Zuko to return. But Zuko's pride and hope for his father's love have blinded him to this. If he ever did capture you Aang, the Fire Lord would lock you away, then banish Zuko once again."

The group was silent then, as Fuego's words faded in the campfire. They had never really thought of Zuko as anything more then an enemy. He had hunted them ruthlessly, never halting, never seeming to rest. They hadn't really thought as to why; he was Fire Nation, and that had been reason enough to consider him an enemy. But they had never tried to look beyond that. They only seen the insignia on his armor and branded him evil. But hearing this story brought into a new light, one that caused to feel shame for never trying to see who Zuko was, only were he came from.

Finally, Katara said, "All this time…. We never even tried to understand him. All we did was fight."

"Even if he is Fire Nation, he didn't deserve that." Aang said.

"No he didn't." Fuego said. "And the worst part is, Zuko's journeys to return home have made him a better person then he would have been otherwise. He's seen what horrors the Fire Nation has inflicted on the world, instead of the victory stories they feed the populace. He knows that his father's campaign is wrong, but his love for the Fire Lord keeps him from admitting it to himself. Zuko could be a great ruler if he could accept what he knows in his heart, and I wish I knew how to help him.

* * *

"You think the Fire God wants us to leave the Avatar free?" Zuko asked again.

"It seems to be his will. Why else would he have sent his servant to free him?" Iroh replied.

"But why? Surely the Fire God knows that I need him to reclaim my honor." Zuko said, slamming his fist on the table.

"Zuko, we have not remained true to the Fire God's teachings in the last century." Iroh said gently, as he placed his hand on his nephew's shoulder. "He taught us to control the power of Fire, and use it's strength to protect the world. But to many, we have used that power to increase our own strength at the cost of the world. Perhaps the Fire God wants the Avatar free so that he can return the balance that once existed."

At that, something stirred in Zuko's heart. Ever since being banished, he had struggled to reconcile what he had seen of the world with the vision that the Fire Nation proclaimed. But as his travels continued, it had become increasingly difficult to do so. No matter how grand the Fire Nation made the war seem, the death and destruction it caused made all of it appear empty and destructive. And now, to hear that the God of the Fire Nation himself had been angered at his own people because of their part in it….

But Zuko was never able to finish his thought, for one of the crew suddenly burst into the room. "Prince Zuko, we have news." The man said, as he walked over to the prince and his uncle.

"Have the scouts reported news?" Zuko asked, his previous thgohts already forgotten.

"No. But we may not need them any longer. We found this searching the prison cell you constructed for the Avatar." The crewman said, as he handed a scroll to Zuko. Taking the scroll, Zuko unwrapped it and spread it out on a nearby table. When he saw was a map, with the location of the ship marked in red. From that mark, extended a line that ended at an island about a day's journey from the ship. But what truly amazed him was that below that was a message…

_Prince Zuko,_

_Follow this map and you will be a step closer to the thing you want more then anything else._

_Your humble servant,_

_Fuego_


	11. Balance

Chap. 11

Balance

"You know, I'm not really surprised." Sokka said, as the group finished cleaning up the beach.

"About what?" Aang asked, as he turned to face his friend.

"Zuko and the Fire Lord. I'm not surprised that he's that vindictive. Anyone who rules the Fire Nation has to be psychotic." Sokka explained. But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Sokka heard the voice of Fuego.

"Don't be so hateful of them alone Sokka. What happened to the Fire Nation is something that lurks in the heart of every nation, though in different ways. The only difference is that they let it get out of hand."

"What are you saying?" Sokka asked in confused anger. "That any of them could have started the war, become tyrants? That I could be in Zuko's position right now?"

Fuego only shook his head. "No, I'm not saying that. What I am saying is the need for power and superiority that fuels the Fire Nation is reflected in all the other Nations, but through different mirrors. But maybe I should elaborate." Fuego added, seeing the confused, and slightly angry looks on his companions.

"Each of the bending arts carries with it a different emotional quality, something inside that defines all who use them. Those qualities have gone on to become defining characteristics of the peoples who adopted the different arts."

"Waterbending is defined by flexibility, the ability to shift positions and see the usefulness in different angles. Waterbenders show this quality in their bending philosophy of changing offense to defense and vice versa, as well as allowing many different points of view."

"Earthbending is defined by stability, being steadfast in beliefs and achievement of goals. Earthbenders show this by demonstrating deep connection to their homeland and ways of life as well as having a very defensive bending style.

"Firebending is defined by power, the need to shape the world around oneself. Firebenders show this by being strong fighters and through extreme loyalty to their home which gives them a view of how to shape. They also use their bending to block one attack with another, enforcing their own power onto the attacker."

"Finally, Airbending is defined by freedom, the ability to choose one's own path. The Airbenders demonstrated this by living apart from the confines of the other nations, as well as using their bending to evade attacks until the chosen moment to strike."

Fuego paused then, as he looked over his companions. Sokka had kept his mask of stubbornness, but Katara seemed puzzled.

"These qualities…" she began. "They all sound good to me. How can they be made evil then?"

"Simple." Fuego replied. "Any quality, taken to extremes, becomes dangerous and evil."

"Flexibility, taken to extremes, becomes indecisiveness and gullibility to new ideas. The Waterbenders could have easily been suckered into becoming warlords if given the idea."

"Stability, taken to extremes, becomes rigidity and dismissal of new ideas. The Earthbenders would have become obsessed with creating a world that mirrored their homeland, at the expense of everything else."

"Power, taken to extremes, becomes the need to control everything around you. The war has been proof of this extreme in the Firebenders."

"Freedom, taken to extremes, becomes anarchy. The Airbenders could have lost their structure and fell apart, creating hundreds of wildcard benders, who could have easily destroyed the world if given the chance."

"I guess, anyone could have started the war then." Katara said thoughtfully. "But if this is true, then it was just chance that the Firebenders started it."

"Right." Fuego said. "Just because a quality has it's extreme doesn't make it bad. Bu jut because a quality is good doesn't make it superior. That's why the Avatar represents all four elements, because when combined, they balance each other out. For example, the power of Fire is tempered by the flexibility of Water. But power also gives focus to the flexibility and keeps it from become indecisive. And the freedom of Air tempers the rigidity of Earth, while Earth's rigidity tempers Air's freedom and keeps it focused on the bigger picture."

"How do you know all this?" Aang asked, as Fuego finished.

The red man sighed and said,"I've been alive long enough to see the horrors of all the extremes. That's why I freed Aang. It's horrible enough knowing one Nation has already fallen to the extreme of another. But when it's your own nation…."

Fuego stopped then, unable to continue. Looking up, he saw the moon in the sky, full and high. "It's late." He said suddenly. "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day." With that, the red man removed his hat, placed it on the ground, and wrapping himself in his cape, lay down on the ground. Within seconds, the others heard loud snores.

"He can't be asleep already." Sokka said in shock, as he moved over to the silent form of the red man. Looking over at Fuego's face, Sokka saw that the eyes were already closed, and underneath the eyelids, were moving back and forth in deep slumber. "Wow. And I thought _I _was good at sleeping." Sokka commented, with a shake of his head.

"Still, he had a point." Katara said, as she pulled out her sleeping bag and began to spread it on the ground. "If we are going to meet his friends, we should be prepared… just in case."

"Wait, now you're suspicious?" Sokka said in amazement.

"It isn't that I don't trust Fuego." Katara said quickly. "But we don't know who these friends are, or if they're coming here alone or being followed…."

"_Riiight."_ Sokka said sarcastically as he grabbed his own sleeping bag and began to unroll it.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure we can take care of it." Aang added. "Besides, we at least got a good meal out of it."

"Which reminds me…" Sokka said suddenly, as he moved over to what was left of the piles of coconuts. Going to the pile on the right, he grabbed on of the 'milk' coconuts and raised it to his mouth for a sip.

"Um Sokka," Aang said. "We didn't poke a hole in all of them."

"I knew that!" Sokka snapped, as he quickly drew the coconut away. Scanning the ground for something to crack it with, his eyes suddenly came upon Fuego's spear, which the red man had placed on the ground when he'd begun his meal.

"Perfect!" Sokka said, as he picked up the weapon. "You really shouldn't use his weapon." Aang warned, fearful that Sokka would damage the weapon.

Regardless, Sokka stuck the coconut in the sand and did his best to lock it in place. Once that was taken care of, Sokka flipped the butt-end of the spear down and raised it above his head. With a loud grunt, Sokka drove the spear down….. and missed the coconut completely, driving the spear into the sand.

"Dammit!" he swore, as he tried to pull the spear out. But as he pulled, the blade end suddenly began to glow. Katara started to cry out to her brother, but before she could, fire suddenly burst through the blade and into the air. Unfortunately, Sokka's head was down as this happened, so he suddenly noticed a smell akin to burning hair. Then the pain hit.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sokka screamed, as he began to dance around in the sand, trying to put out his flaming hair.

"Sokka, hold still!" Katara yelled, as she struggled out of her sleeping bag. But Sokka was too hysterical to hear his sister and continued running around.

"Aang, can you…..?" Katara began, but Aang was already up and with a sweep of his staff, sent out an air current that knocked Sokka to the ground. Once he was down, Katara turned to the ocean, and quickly bent some of the water out towards Sokka. Moving quickly, she splashed his head with water, dousing the fire. Once it was out, Sokka instantly began checking his head.

"My hair, is my hair all right?" he said frantically as the others came near him.

"I think it looks ok." Said a voice behind the youth. Sokka tunred to see Fuego moving towards him.

"What the hell is with your spear, man?" he yelled. "It nearly fried me!"

"Is that what happened?" the red man asked. "All I saw was somebody dancing around with his head on fire, then I woke up the rest of the way."

Moving closer to Sokka, Fuego kneeled down, and gently looked over the boy's scalp. After a moment, he said, "Looks ok. Katara put it out before it was able to really scorch anything. It'll be raw for a bit, but you'll be fine."

"Great, now will you tell me what the heck is with that thing!" Sokka yelled, as he pointed to the spear.

Fuego replied, "I should have told you. The spear has firebending magic in it. Anyone who uses it can control fire. But unless I will it to work for another person, it will burn anyone other then me who tried to use it."

"And you couldn't have told us that because….?" Sokka asked.

"I didn't think you'd use it that way." Fuego said. "Hell, you probably turned it on by accident. If you don't try to use the magic, it's just another spear. I can heal the burn, if you want."

"Forget it." Sokka muttered, as he started to walk over to his sleeping bag.

Shaking his head, Fuego looked over at Katara and Aang and said, "I just lost whatever trust I gained with him, didn't I?"

"I don't know. Sokka can be pretty angry, but it kinda was his fault." Katara said. "See how he is in the morning." Fuego nodded, and bade Katara and Aang a good night.

As the two of them walked back to their sleeping spots, Fuego started to move back to his. But then he paused a moment. The red man suddenly turned his head to sea, as if there was something he'd heard on the horizon. But for Fuego it more like something he sensed. It was still far away, too distant to even be seen, but the red man could feel it all the same. Underneath his wrappings, he smiled. _I knew he'd find it._ Fuego thought as he went back to his spot and sank back down. _Now all I have to do is wait, and Zuko and I will finally get what we need. _


	12. DoubleSided: The Coin Flips

Chap. 12

Double-Sided: The Coin Flips

The skies slowly edged into crimson, as the sun rose. The golden orb rose into sky slowly, as it painted the early morning with a veritable plethora of red and gold. As it's light spread over the island, it touched each of the inhabitants on the beach. As the sunlight touched them, most of them shut their eyes tight and turned against, wanting another few moments of sleep. But one of them felt the warmth on his body and awoke instantly.

Smiling under his wrappings, Fuego pulled himself out from his cape and rose to his feet. Spreading his arms wide, Fuego felt the warmth on his body energize him. It had always been said that Firebenders rise with the sun. Fuego had never felt the sun's power the way that they had of course; his strength was not dependant on the moon or sun. Still, he had always awoken upon the first touch of light and felt instantly energized.

_Of course, today has it's own special meaning. _The red man thought as he lowered his arms and looked out to sea. Today was the day he finally put his plan for Zuko into effect. It had a been a difficult plan to put into effect, mainly because he had been alone in it's construction. The friends that Fuego and the others were waiting for shared the respect that the red man felt towards Zuko, but for them it was only respect. They saw Zuko as a fallen paladin, who was not within their ability to bring to their cause. But Fuego had always saw things differently. He alone saw the potential within the boy, the qualities that had been ignored by his family and everyone else, except for Iroh. Even now, despite everything that he had been instructed to do, Fuego kept his hope for Zuko alive. That was the reason he had left the note. That was why he had lead Zuko to this isle; to bring him over to their side. _I have to. _He thought, as he looked out onto the ocean._ Without him, everything will fall apart. I can't let that happen, not to the Fire Nation or to any of the Nations. Why can't they see that? Is he the only one that sees it besides me?_

Fuego would have dwelled on those thoughts a bit longer, but then something caught his attention. The force he'd sensed the previous night was back, and much closer. For a second, he dared a smile, thinking that he would finally be able to put his plan into action. But a second later, the smile vanished. Last night, the force had been too far for him to truly sense. Fuego had known that it was a Fire Nation ship, and he had let that be enough. But now, he could sense something within it that filled him with fear. But then, Fuego felt even more fear, for as he looked out, he saw the ship on the horizon, coming closer with each passing minute.

"_Shit."_ Fuego hissed, as he leapt off his perch. The sand flew around him as he made tracks for the sleeping forms of his companions. "Wake up!" he yelled, as he gave their sleeping bags a few swift kicks. Moaning, they turned over, wondering what was going on.

"Want sleep. No wakey." Sokka muttered, as he tried to turn back into his sleeping bag.

Katara and Aang however, managed to pull themselves up. "What's going on, Fuego?" Katara asked sleepily, as she rubbed her eyes.

Fuego wasted no time in making his point; "There's a Fire Nation ship on the horizon. It'll be here in a few minutes. We've got to get out of here!"

Those were the magic words. Almost instantly, the sleepy eyes vanished, as the companions sprang to their feet and started gathering their supplies.

"Come on, we've got to get Appa loaded and out of here!" Aang cried, as he threw what he had gathered onto Appa's saddle.

But Fuego shook his head. "You're half right. We need to get him loaded but we can't leave the island, not until my friends get here."

"Forget your friends! I'm sure they'll understand!" Sokka yelled.

"It isn't a matter of understanding Sokka. We have to meet."

"And you'd endanger us to do it?"

"No! If you'll just listen, I might have an idea."

At that, the others, quickly turned an ear to the red man. "Listen, this island is huge and covered in jungle. If we can get into it before the Fire Nation arrives, we might be able to lose them and I can lead us to the meeting place. Trust me, with my friends with can beat them back easily. Our only other option is run, and if we get up there, they'll just try to shoot us down."

The others listened as Fuego finished his proposal. Finally, Aang said, "I think Fuego's right. They're too close for us to make a clean getaway and they would try to shoot us down." Turning to Fuego, he said, "Lead the way."

The red man nodded and said, "Is Appa ready to go?"

Sokka and Katara nodded back, as the finished tying the last of the supplies onto Appa's saddle.

"Then let's move!" the red man said, as he practically leapt into the jungle. Appa and the others quickly followed.

* * *

And it was a good thing they did, because not ten minutes later, the Fire Nation ship made berth on the island. Once it did, it became quite clear this was not Zuko's ship. This one was at least twice the size of the boy prince's ship, and far more powerful. As the ship's prow cut through the sandy beach, the crewmen threw then anchor out over the side, bringing the ship to a halt within a few minutes. Once it fully stopped, there was a hiss of steam, and the front opened up dropping onto the beach.

Once the pathway was clear, there was a clanking sound from inside the ship, as something large and powerful made it's way through the ship. That something revealed itself a second later, as a twenty-man squadron of rhinos made it's way onto the beach. The men quickly lead their rhinos to sides, in a precise military formation. The group stood at attention as they awaited the presence of their leader. That leader appeared a second later, riding the king rhino.

"At attention!" the captain of the squad commanded, as the leader came down the ramp. "The men are assembled and awaiting orders, sir." He said, as the leader came to rest beside him.

"Very good captain." Admiral Zhao said, as he looked over the rhino squad. As he looked at the jungle, Zhao had to smile at the luck he'd encountered. He had been returning from a routine raid on an Earth Kingdom town, when he had run into a small messenger scout boat. Once he had brought the boat on deck, Zhao had used some expert 'persuasion' to learn that the scout was from Prince Zuko, and had sighted the Avatar landing on an island. Zhao had not only 'persuaded' the man to give him the location of the Avatar, but had also forced him to send a hawk back to Zuko telling him of failure. Zhao had also heard the tale of Fuego and was fullyu prepared to bring the traitor to justice. With that added bonus, Zhao stood on the threshold of capturing the Avatar and finally ridding the Fire Nation of Zuko once and for all. _This will be the day they will write of forever. This is the day the great Admiral Zhao destroyed the last threat to the Fire Nation's victory. _Zhao thought with sinister glee.

Motioning to his troops, Zhao gave his orders. "Find the Avatar. I don't care what you have to do, but find him and bring him to me. Destroy anyone who gets in your way!" The troops nodded their acceptance and quickly began to move into the jungle, smashing most of the trees on their way. Zhao followed, thoughts of victory fresh in his mind.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Aang asked, as the group made it's way through the jungle underbrush. They were making swift time through the jungle, mainly because Fuego was using Appa as a battering ram to clear the way.

"Don't worry, Aang. I know exactly what I'm doing." The red man said, as he continued to move through the underbrush.

"I'm glad one of us does." Sokka muttered as he continued to move through the underbrush, while getting hit by every branch and root on the way.

Katara started to say something, but then paused as she turned back for a moment. "Do you guys hear that?" she asked suddenly.

Fuego and the others turned around and within seconds, they heard it; a low but intense rumbling. Aang and Sokka seemed puzzled, but Fuego's eyes widened.

"RHINOS! RUN!" he yelled, as he leapt onto Appa's back motioning for the others to do the same. The group quickly hopped on, and Fuego drove Appa through the underbush hard, destroying everything in their path. But it was then that the group began to see a small clearing up ahead.

"That's it! Hand on!" Fuego said, as he whipped the reins. With a roar, Appa burst through the last of the underbrush and into the clearing. But he did not do so alone. As Appa burst through, about four rhinos popped out as well. The bison instantly came to a halt, as his passengers leapt off, ready to fight. Fuego drew his spear, Aang his staff, Sokka his boomerang, and Katara quickly moved towards a small pond by Appa.

"Come on! Give it your best shot!" Sokka yelled out, egging the four rhinos on. But the second those words were out of his mouth, the other rhinos popped out threw the jungle, instantly surrounding and outnumbering them.

"OK, good shot." Sokka said, as he looked around in desperation. A second later, that desperation equaled, as two rhinos suddenly forced Appa back in the jungle, separating him form his masters.

"Everybody behind me." Fuego said suddenly. "I know what's coming next." The others nodded, and quickly did as Fuego asked, as one more rhino made it's way from the jungle, carrying with the leader of the squadron….

"Admiral Zhao." Fuego said, as the lead rhino came to the front.

"I see you know of me." Zhao said, as he looked down at the small band before him.

"By reputation. I can't truly say I'm impressed." Fuego replied, as he looked back at the admiral.

"What a pity. I don't have the respect of a traitor. I hope you won't give the Fire Lord a bad review of me when I bring you to him." Zhao replied, with more then a trace of venom.

But Fuego only shook his head. "Zhao there is much you do not know. But there is one thing you will come to learn." The red man said, as he drew his spear.

"And what would that be?" Zhao said, already willing his hands alight.

Fuego took a few steps forward, then looked straight up at Zhao and gave his answer; "I'm no traitor."

Suddenly, Fuego whipped around and using the butt-end of his spear, knocked Aang to the ground and knocking his staff to the side. Sokka and Katara gasped in shock, then their eyes narrowed as they refocused into Fuego. But before they could do anything, Fuego whirled his spear over his head like a propeller, and as it began to glow, the red man suddenly sent two fire blasts from it at the ground in front of the siblings. The flames hit the ground and ignited, but then spread out, trapping Sokka and Katara in two rings of fire, that grew upwards until they were at their necks. Fuego then grabbed the slowly rising form of Aang and facing Katara and Sokka, brandished his glowing spear at the boy's neck.

"Try anything, and I give him a new airhole." The red man sneered, especially at Katara, knowing what she could do with her Water-bending. But seeing Aang in danger, Katara lowered her head in defeat. Sokka followed a moment later.

"Good." Fuego muttered, as he turned back to the Admiral, holding the struggling form of Aang. But Fuego's arm snaked up Aang's back, until it reached a specific spot on the boy's neck. Fuego pinched it, and Aang suddenly fell limp.

Shifting his grasp to Aang's collar so that he did not drop the paralyzed boy, the red man turned to Zhao and said, "I am a servant of the ruler of the Fire Nation. I bring you this gift, in his name." Holding Aang up, Fuego suddenly dropped to one knee in front of Zhao, holding the key to the war and the savior of millions right in front of the vicious admiral.


	13. The Children

Chap. 13

The Children

"Zuko, I still do not think this is a good idea." Iroh cautioned, as Zuko continued to walk up the beach. The boy-prince's ship had reached the shores of the island on the map, only to find a much larger ship already there. Within minutes, Zuko had recognized it was the personal warship of Admiral Zhao,. Realizing that the ship was empty and that his old rival now had the chance to banish Zuko forever, the boy-prince had come to shore and stated that he planned to apprehend the Avatar and Zhao himself.

Iroh however, saw this as another example of Zuko's temper and frustrations. The old general knew that given the presence of Zhao and the Avatar, Zuko was bound to let his emotions cloud his judgment and make a grievous error. That was why he was walking along his nephew, trying to convince him to bring at least a squadron along with him.

"Zhao is a Master Firebender and his troops are among the best in the Fire Army." Iroh argued, as Zuko moved closer and closer to the jungle. "You will not be able to defeat them by yourself."

"It doesn't matter Uncle." Zuko replied. "I don't plan to fight them." At that, Iroh's eyebrows shot, as he wondered what his nephew was thinking.

Seeing his uncle's confusion, Zuko stopped and explained. "It is far easier for one man to sneak into the jungle and kidnap the Avatar, then for a troop of soldiers to burst through and cause a huge and unfocused battle. All I need is for the ship to be ready when I return."

Iroh smiled then, proud to see his nephew exercise such wisdom. But this did not mean he simply let his nephew go. "This is a fine plan Zuko. But I cannot let you go alone. If Zhao's soldiers discover you and attack, you will be outmatched. I will accompany you and be your back up if the worst should happen."

For a second, Zuko seemed ready to argue. But then he shrugged his shoulders and said, "All right Uncle. But be careful. I don't want you to get injured on my account."

"Worry about Zhao and his troops, not me." Iroh replied with a grin. Giving a small smile back, Zuko turned back into the jungle, his uncle following suit.

* * *

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" Zhao asked Fuego, as the red man held up the limp form of Aang. "You could simply be trying to save your own skin."

But Fuego shook his head. "I swear to you Admiral, this is no trick. I was sent by the Fire Lord himself to apprehend the Avatar."

"But then why did you free him from Zuko?" the admiral asked.

"Do you really think I would let a worthless pup like Zuko capture the Avatar?" Fuego asked in astonishment. "I would let that fool travel the seas forever before I let him have the Avatar."

At that, Zhao smiled, but the suspicion in his voice remained. "But why give him to me? Surely you would receive much praise from the Fire Lord if you deliver the Avatar yourself."

But Fuego shook his head. "I have heard of your exploits for much of my life Admiral. I consider you a true hero of the Fire Nation, and I would honored to give you this great tribute."

That was the final piece, as Zhao, feeling immensely prideful, came down from his rhino and walked over to the red man. Motioning for two of his troops, Zhao took the paralyzed Avatar from Fuego, and handed him to the soldiers. "How long will he be like that?" he asked Fuego.

"Not much longer. You'd best get him your ship quickly." Fuego replied. "As for the other two…."

"Oh, I'll deal with them myself." Zhao said, as he walked over to the trapped siblings. Raising his hands, Zhao summoned the fire to him.

"You two have been thorns in the side of the Fire Nation long enough. It is time you were punished for your transgressions." Zhao said, as he prepared to destroy Sokka and Katara right then and there.

But before he could, Zhao felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw the face of Zuko looking up at him.

"Wait Admiral. Let me help you in this." The red man said, as he handed Zhao his spear. As Zhao looked at it confusion, Fuego explained, "It is of my own design. It works like the Avatar's staff, enhancing your Firebending." Zhao grinned at the prospect and turned back to the siblings.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you, you Fire Nation scum!" Sokka cried out at Fuego.

"How you could lie to us like this? All those things you said about your father?" Katara yelled out as well.

"I'm a good actor." Fuego replied calmly, as Zhao placed the spear in front of the two and activated it, sending flame down the blade and towards the Water-tribesmen.

But as the flames began to spread out from the spear, something happened. The fire paused in mid-air, and then shot back up the spear, right into the shocked Zhao. The admiral flew back onto the sand from the impact of the flame. When he finally came to a halt, Zhao looked at Fuego with pure rage in his eyes.

But the red man simple said, "Didn't I tell you? The spear only works when I want it to. And now isn't one of those times."

With that, Fuego stretched forth his hand, and the spear flew up from the sand into his awaiting palm. Once it was back in his grasp, Fuego pointed his other hands at the fire rings surrounding Sokka and Katara. Almost immediately, the flames shot out towards the red man, leaving the siblings free. The fire from the rings shot into Fuego's palm, as he seemed to absorb the fire into himself. It was a sight that caused even the well-trained soldiers of Zhao's troop to stare in shock.

Of course, Fuego used to his advantage as well. Once the flame had vanished, Fuego suddenly whipped around and shot a fire blast at the feet of the soldiers holding Aang. The soldiers instantly moved away, but in their surprise, they released their grip on the young Avatar. Aang took the opportunity to whirl around and air-blast them into two nearby trees. The young Avatar then backflipped over to the spot where Fuego and the siblings stood, holding back the soldiers with spear, boomerang, and waterbending.

"So what was that about?" Aang asked the red man.

"I told you, I'm a good actor." Fuego replied.

"Apparently." Aang replied, as he took his staff back from Sokka, who'd recovered it in the turmoil. However, that acting ability was not the saving grace a moment later, when a huge wave of flame suddenly washed out over the hero's heads. Thankfully, they managed to dodge the wave, but when they arose, the sight of an enraged Admiral Zhao was there to greet them.

"You dare humiliate me!" Zhao roared. "You will pay for that traitor! I will burn your skin off and take what's left of you to the Fire Lord!"

But Fuego shot back, and his voice was filled with enough anger that even his allies were frightened.

"Don't you dare call me traitor Zhao!" the red man shot back. "If you want a traitor, you can look in the mirror! You, and all the scum-sucking, power-mad freaks that rule the Fire Nation have destroyed everything it stood for. You gave up honor, heroism, and pride for this?" the red man sneered in disgust as he held up his hand and summoned a flame to it.

Looking at it in disgust, Fuego continued. "I've heard your speeches Zhao. You call yourself a son of the superior element. Well, look at your element Zhao! You know what it is? It's heat and pretty lights, that's all. It's nothing more, but you became a slave to it all the same, you and everyone that ruined the Fire Nation. You're like narcissistic animals, that stared at the lights of your own element until you became enslaved to it, at the cost of everything you once held so high."

"But I'm different Zhao." Fuego said, as he began to walk towards the enraged general. "I remembered what the Fire Nation stood for. I remembered what my father taught me. He taught me that there is no more power in flame then there is in the stones of the earth, or the ripple of the water, or in the kiss of the wind. The only real power comes from using them together."

And as Fuego spoke those last words, the stone in his spear began to glow. The red man looked at it a moment, then said, in a voice that assured everyone he was smiling under his mask, "I think it's time you see that power for yourself."

Suddenly, everyone was struggling for balance as the ground underneath them began to shake. The soldiers struggled to keep their rhinos under control, but it became useless a few minutes later. Huge arms, made entirely of stone and earth suddenly reached up from the ground and plucked five riders from their rhinos, then picked up the beasts and threw them down on their backs, incapacitating them.

As Zhao looked around in utter horror at this display of power, he suddenly saw its source. Everyone turned to the ground as it began to crack and crumble as something pushed it's way to the surface. Finally, something leapt up from the cracked earth and landed on the ground. As it rose, it seemed to be a man made entirely of earth, but then it changed, and became flesh and blood. As it rose to it's feet, Aang and the others gasped in shock, for this man wore clothing identical to Feugo, in all but the dark brown color. The man was also more muscular looking then Fuego, and slightly taller. He also carried a small stone hammer, instead of a spear.

But as everyone stared at the brown man, the second part of Fuego's speech was coming true. The water in the pond was stretching upwards, into a large tentacle that suddenly separated itself from the lake and hung in the air. Katara, of course, was the first to notice this, but she had little time to do so. The tentacle suddenly shot out at the soldiers, whipping into them and knocking the rest of the riders from their rhinos. The soldiers all tried to evaporate the water, but it moved too quickly for them to do so.

"Wow, great bending Katara." Aang said as he watched.

"But I'm not doing it." Katara protested, as she wondered who was.

The answer to that question came a second later, as the tendril came to halt next to the brown man. Slowly, it coalesced into itself, gathering into an almost teardrop shape, that even then continued to change. Finally it finished it's transformation, as a blue-clothed man stood there. Wiry, but strong looking all the same, this man carried a blue trident.

Then finally the last piece of the speech hit. The winds suddenly began to pick up, swirling around faster and faster like a hurricane. But despite the strength of the winds, no one felt as if they were being pulled into the wind. However, that did not mean that the rhinos were immune. Suddenly, there was a multitude of roars as the rhinos were lifted into the winds, swirling around faster and faster, and lifting higher every second. As everyone watched in shock, the winds seemed to lift up into the sky, taking the rhinos with it. As the creatures flew upward into the sky, what appeared to be a spinning piece of cloud came down to stand with the two men. As it slowly spun down and came to rest with them, a shape began to appear within it, until finally, a short man, dressed in white and holding a staff with a circular open ending to it stood next to them.

As everyone stared in amazement/terror at the three beings before them, Fuego moved up to stand with them.

"Nice job guys." He said to them, almost casually.

"You expected less?" the brown man replied, his voice deep and gravely.

"Of course not. He knew we'd kick his ass if he doubted us." The blue man said, his voice soothing and mysterious.

"Of course, there is still plenty of ass for us to kick here." The white man added, his voice full of youth and excitement.

Fuego chuckled, then turning back to Zhao, said, "I apologize for the informality. But when brothers get together, they always have their little rituals to go through."

"Brothers?" Aang asked in confusion, wondering why Fuego had not mentioned them before.

"Oh yes Aang. Sorry for saying friends instead, but I had to keep things a little dramatic. But I think you might know of them anyway. Tell me Admiral," the red man said, turning back to Zhao. "Do you know who we are? You must have at some point, if you remember your languages. But perhaps if we gave you a hint?"

With that, Fuego began to introduce his brothers, beginning with the blue man. "This is Agua, the quiet one."

He then moved to the brown man; "This is Tierra, the strong one."  
Then, Fuego spoke his piece; "I am Fuego, the crazy one."

The white man was last. "This is Aire, the youthful one."

"Am I supposed to care?" Zhao snapped back. "Your brothers and you don't matter. You'll all burn the same."

But at that, all four brothers laughed. "I severely doubt that." Agua said. "We don't burn very well. Especially me and Fuego. But you'd know that if you knew the meaning of our names."

"But it's obvious you don't, so let us spell it out for you." Fuego said. "Agua, Tierra, Fuego, Aire- Water, Earth, Fire, and Air."

"We are the greatest power you people have ever been able to understand." Tierra said. "We are the children of the elements, and we have only one purpose here; make sure that you and the rest of the Fire Nation doesn't get their hands on the Avatar."

"So, you can either leave now." Aire continued, as he took an offensive position. "Or you can be burned, buried, drowned, and have what's left of you flown back to the Fire Nation."

But Zhao simply laughed. "Do you really expect me to believe that garbage? 'Children of the Elements.' Maybe it works on children, but not on me. Besides, no matter how powerful you are, we still outnumber you." He finished, as he gestured to the many soldiers still surrounding the group.

"Actually, you don't." Agua said. "You see, there is more power in this world then you realize. The four of us represent the power you've managed to control. But there are many other elements that you don't know, and therefore more children of the Elements. In fact, they're around you right now."


	14. The Knights

Chap. 14

The Knights

_A few minutes earlier…_

The jungle landscape was filled with humid air, hanging vines, and trees that popped up form every which way. But Zuko pushed through all of it, not caring about anything but capturing the Avatar. Iroh however, took a different approach.

"Prince Zuko, are you sure we cannot turn back and get something cold to drink?" Iroh asked, as he wiped his heavily sweating brow. The old general was not used to the humidity of the jungle and thus far, had done little more then walk and sweat. Zuko in turn ignored his uncle's question as he had the last three times (even though he was also quite hot and thirsty) and continued to walk though the jungle.

But a moment later, Zuko came to a halt, as he saw a large clearing in the distance. Motioning to his uncle, Zuko quietly began to sneak up to it, barely making a sound. Iroh followed, though not as well as his nephew (mainly due to his age). Still the two of them managed to sneak behind a large tree and listen in to what was happening.

"How many?" Iroh asked.

"At least twenty, plus Zhao himself. But it looks like they're all riders. Where are the rhinos?" Zuko asked.

"We'll worry about that later. They're probably in the jungle somewhere. Do you see the Avatar?"

"Yes, he's standing in the back, with his Water-tribe friends. And I can see Fuego too….."

"Zuko, what is it?"

"There are people with him. They're dressed like him, but in different colors. They're saying something, but I can't make it out."

"I can hear a little better. It's something about other elements, but that's all I can make out. What do you think it means?"

Before Iroh could answer, another voice said from above, "Oh, I think you'll find out." Eyes widening, the two Firebenders looked up……..

_Now…… _

"… around you right now." Agua finished. And as the blue man spoke, there came a crashing noise from the jungle. Everyone whirled around to see a huge tree shaking back and forth. Suddenly it pulled itself up, and began to move forward on its roots. Stretching out two of it's branches, a voice issued forth, "Look who I found." As it displayed the captive Zuko and Iroh for all to see.

"How did he get here?" Tierra, Sokka, and Zhao all said in unison. Not seeming to care, the tree dropped the two Firebenders to the side, and then began to rustle as it shrunk into itself. Leaves vanished, bark became soft and pliable, and branches retracted as the tree shrank to the size of a man. Finally, it finished its transformation as a stocky, tall man dressed in green stood there, a large battle axe slung to his back.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked, in a rich, earthy voice.

"No, you're right on time." Fuego replied.

But before the red man could say any more, Zhao yelled out, "Enough of this! Attack, before anymore of them show up!"

Of course, as the soldiers moved forward, that happened as well. As the line of troops started to advance, there was suddenly a rumble from the skies, and then a crack as lighting shot down, forcing the soldiers back. As the smoke cleared, another figure rose up, dressed in silver and holding a bronze staff.

As the soldiers backed away from this man as well, there was suddenly a clank from the jungle. A few troops turned, only to see a pair of chains shoot out from the jungle, wrap around their ankles and drag them back. But before they were dragged into the jungle, the chains rose, suspending them in the air by their ankles. As they hung there, another man emerged, dressed in gray. The chains seemed to be sprouting from holes in the man's palms. The gray man stood there a moment, and then suddenly whipped the chains forward, slamming the two soldiers into the group with a thud. Holding his hands out, the gray man watched as the chains literally retracted into the open holes in his palms. The holes sealed as soon as the chains retracted.

The remaining troops attempted to advance on the gray man, but suddenly they found themselves blinded by the intense light of the sun. As they stood there, trying to cleanse their eyes, there was a cry from the heavens and then something fell into their ranks, clawing and kicking like a wildman. The troops were too blinded to properly attack, so they all fell to the ground within seconds. Only then, could they see their attacker. Looking up, they saw a golden figure, holding what appeared to be a golden ball in its hand. But then their vision cleared, and they saw the golden _woman_ who had defeated them, and the light ball she'd used to blind them.

But they had little time to admire that either, for they suddenly felt the sands under them begin to pull at them. Almost instantly, the troops began to struggle against the pull, to no avail of course. Within minutes, every Fire Nation soldier was up to his neck in the sands. As Aang, Katara, Zuko and the others stared in absolute amazement, the sands began to gather up and rise into a shape, until finally, a tall, muscular man in orange had emerged from the sands.

"Impressed yet?" Fuego asked, as the figures came to stand by him and his brothers. "I told you there were more of us Zhao. And considering how easily we just put down your men, I don't think you want to fight us. Why don't you just leave now?"

But if Zhao was anything, he was prideful. "Never!" he cried back. "I don't know how you did that, and I don't care. I am the great Admiral Zhao! I fear nothing!"

But as Zhao spoke those words, he suddenly felt a chill in the back of his spine. Slowly, the admiral turned around, as if he suspected an unholy monster to appear behind him. And he wasn't far off. For when Zhao finally saw what was behind him, he actually screamed in terror, seeing something that no one could explain or understand. As everyone turned at the sound of the scream, they also gaped in horror. For the creature that had so frightened Zhao was his own shadow.

But it was not simply darkness on the ground. Somehow, Zhao's shadow had stretched upwards, gaining substance and dimension. The huge black mass stretched to almost ten feet tall, and though it had kept the basic shape of the Admiral, a pair of red eyes glowed within its face.

As Zhao tried to back away (a pointless endeavor, since no man can escape his shadow) the huge black shape actually bent forward, stretching its arms out to hold Zhao in place. As the Admiral cowered, the huge black face came down and looked at him, with a sense of almost curiosity. Then, even though it had no mouth, the shadow spoke, in a voice that was like Zhao's but mixed with that of something that had died and come back to life.

"What's wrong, Zhao?" the shadow whispered, as it leaned in close.

"Do I frighten you? Is the great Admiral Zhao afraid of the dark? Of his own shadow?" it asked, as Zhao cowered in terror.

The shadow let out a laugh then, a dark sound like nails on a chalkboard. "You must show more spine Admiral. Isn't that what the Fire Lord wants? And you don't want to disappoint him do you? To be less then those soldiers you command…. You fear that more then anything else, don't you? You can't stand to made less then you think you deserve."

The shadow pulled back then, drawing itself up to it's full height, but then, it began to shrink. "Don't be afraid of low rank, Zhao." The shadow said, as it continued to lessen in height. "And don't be afraid of the dark either." It said, as it stopped its descent, reaching the height of the Admiral himself. For a second, the shadow kept its form of Zhao, and then began to change its shape, becoming more defined and less 'Zhao-like.' And as the shadow drew into itself, the blackness that comprised it vanished as well, revealing the man in black. Seeing that the shadow was gone, Zhao tried to get to his feet, but before he could, the man reached over and pulled him up. Drawing Zhao close, the black man said, as his red eyes glowed, "Be afraid of me."

With that, the black man suddenly pulled his free hand back and released a blast of flame at Zhao, blasting him back onto the ground. But this flame was different. It was black and blue, and Zhao came to a halt, his teeth were chattering from cold. As the Admiral's troopswatched their leader struggle to his feet, Fuego and his siblings came to stand by the black man.

"Do you understand us now?" the black man said, as he looked at Zhao.

But the Admiral only stared back and asked, through his chattering teeth, "W-Who are y-you people?"

At that, the black man actually let out a chuckle. "I forgot to mention that, didn't I? If you must know, my name is Oscuridad. My brothers are Bosque (a gesture at the green man), Trueno (the silver man now), Hierro (the gray man) and Desierto (the orange man)."

"This one here,' the newly-named black man said, gesturing towards the golden woman, who came up and stood next to him. "is Luz, my wife. Of course, in a much simpler vernacular, we are Darkness, Forest, Thunder, Metal, Desert, and Light, four elements that can still be mastered, and two that never will be."

"But _what_ are you?" Zhao asked again, with more arrogance in his voice.

Sighing, Oscuridad said, "I see the Fire Nation has forgotten its mythology. A pity. But if you really must know…" With that, the man in black held out his gauntleted palm, a motion that the others followed. As the ten beings stood, their palms suddenly began to glow, as ten circular symbols suddenly appeared in their palms. A few were recognizable; Zhao and the soldiers recognized the symbol of the Fire Nation on Fuego, and Katara acknowledged the symbol for the Water Tribe on Agua. Aang recognized the Air Nomad sigil on Aire as well as the Earth Kingdom symbol on Tierra. But none of the others were known.

Or so they thought. For as Iroh looked upon the symbols, something stirred within his memory. A story he had been told by the ancient Fire Sages in his youth, about the gods and how they had become angered at the excesses of humanity. How they had decided to make their own voices heard upon the mortal plane. How not only the gods of the four elements had made this chose and therefore placed their power on the mortal plane, but others, who had become elemental gods by their decisions to have their voices and powers placed as well. This had eventually led to the creation of the Avatar, but there had been something else created that day. And as Iroh continued to think, he remembered the rest of the story, and with a gasp, realized who stood before him.

And then, General Iroh, the famed Dragon of the West, who had attacked Ba Sing Se for six hundred days and nearly taken it, did something that shocked his nephew and put a sliver of fear into the heart of Admiral Zhao. Iroh walked in front of the siblings, then fell to the ground and prostrated himself before them in worship.

"Uncle?" Zuko said, in confusion as he moved to stand next to Iroh.

"On the ground Zuko." Iroh said in reply. "Do you not remember the story? Of the gods and their voices?"

For a second, Zuko stood in confusion, as he tried to remember the old story. But then it came back, and with a gasp of shock, Zuko also prostrated himself before the figures.

For a second, there was silence. Then Oscuridad nodded. Turing back to Feugo, he said, "You were right about these two." Motioning to Zuko and Iroh, the man in black told them to rise.

"It is good to know our legend has not left the land totally." He said, as he looked at the two Firebenders. "But I must ask something of you. Speak my name. My _true_ name. Tell them who I am, and who we are."

Iroh nodded. Turning around, he looked right at Zhao and said, "Admiral, allow me to introduce you to Nightstalker, the Knight of Shadow and mortal voice of Rastla, Goddess of Shadow."

As Iroh spoke the words, all measure of pride and rage left Zhao's face. Instead, it became filled with an amazed terror at the beings who stood before him. As the soldiers behind him also began to quake in fear, Fuego suddenly spoke

"You know now, don't you Zhao? We are the Elemental Knights, the mortal voices of the gods. And we have been sent here with a mission. Protect the Avatar from the likes of you."

But while the Firebenders took this news with fear, Katara and Sokka seemed confused.

"Elemental Knights? Voices of the gods? What is he talking about?" Sokka asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Aang said, his voice filled with strange wonder.

"We never heard of them in the Water Tribe." Katara said.

"Well I have." Aang replied. "The Airbenders said that long ago, the gods became angry with the indulgences and greed of mankind. They saw their creation being ravaged, and decided to create their own representatives, their own voices on Earth. They were given the powers of the elements, and sent to Earth in order to create balance. They helped to create the Four Nations using four of the elements to create bending and give the people discipline, and before they left, created the Avatar Spirit to watch over the world."

"Well told Avatar." Luz said, as she looked over at Aang. "And now, we've come back, to safeguard what we created."

"You see Zhao," added Oscuridad, "you fear the Avatar because he represents a force greater then any man could ever control. And you have more reason to fear us Zhao. We aren't men at all."

With that, the man in black reached up, and began to undo the wrappings on his face. Within moments, he'd removed them, and pulling off his hat, revealed his face to the group.


	15. From Many, One

Chap. 15

From Many, One

Since they had first met Fuego, Aang, Katara, and Sokka had wondered why he had disguised his face so heavily. It had been one thing when he had been in hiding as a member of the Fire Nation, when he had unquestionably felt it necessary to hide his identity. But afterwards, when he had been alone with them, he still had not removed the wrappings. When he had eaten, he had pulled them down slightly but that was all. Privately, the three of them had devised their own theories about the red man, most of them revolving around severe disfigurement. They'd changed their minds briefly when they saw that his brother Knights had adopted Fuego's style. After all, they couldn't _all_ be deformed then. But as Oscuridad revealed his face, the three children immediately shot back to their original theory, which had proved closer to the truth then they'd realized.

Underneath the black man's wrappings, lay a face that was as black as the cloth surrounding it. But this was not a coloring of the skin; the black came from the fur that covered the face. A wide, open nose stood above a mouth from which two fangs jutted out from top and slightly jutting bottom. Two ears, pointed and almost fox-like sprouted from the top of the head. As they stared in shock, Oscuridad gave a grim smile, though his red eyes looked on in glee at the confusion he was causing. For these people no longer saw the man in black; they saw his true form, that of man and bat.

One by one, the other Knights began to remove their wrappings, and show themselves to the humans. Agua revealed an angular face, covered in orange fur that came to a point at either side of his face. Two pointed ears sprouted from his crown, and his green, slit pupils looked on from the cat face they were set in. Opening his mouth ever so slightly in a similar grin, Agua hissed through his long front fangs.

Tierra's face was covered in brown fur and stretched outwards culminating in the muzzle of his dog face. His eyes flashed behind it as he looked over the soldiers. As they watched, his upper lip curled in the same devious smile revealing a row of sharp teeth as he growled.

No fur or hair covered Fuego's face though. But it was marked nonetheless. The red man's black, stony face was traced with lines of red that crisscrossed and pulsed. His eyes were open holes that glowed the same color as the lines that ran through them. He too gave a smile, which showed the red spewing forth from his mouth as well.

Aire's unmasking revealed a pair of feathery eyebrows, over a squat face that stretched forth into a beak. The falcon's eyes gleamed with youth and excitement as his feather covered face looked out onto the Fire Nation soldiers. His beak curbed into a smile as he looked on.

When Bosque removed his wrappings, there were some slight chuckles from the soldiers, as the furry, seemingly wide-eyed face of a squirrel made it's appearance. But Bosque only smiled over his slightly oversized teeth, and reaching behind him, drew his axe. Whirling it over it over his head, he suddenly drove it into the ground and gave them a look that said, "Laugh all you want. But I'll remember."

Trueno's face stretched outward, in an almost horse-like shape. But his steely eyes and curling horns made the soldiers cautious. For rams are notoriously hard fighters when they are angered, and a ram with the power of thunder is something to truly fear.

Despite that, it was Hierro's revelation that everyone remembered the most vividly. The gray man pulled his wrappings over and off, revealing a pair of strange, bulbous eyes. But as he kept pulling back, a second pair became visible, and then another, until finally, eight pairs of eyes were revealed. It didn't end there, as Hierro removed the lower part of his wrappings and a pair of twitching mandibles was visible in place of a mouth.

As everyone stared in disgusted horror, something suddenly began to rustle in the folds of Hierro's cape. Suddenly a second pair of arms drew up out of the cape, followed by a third, the right of which carried a large mace that the hands passed up to the right of the top pair. As the spider looked out, its mandibles began to twist in an approximation of the smile on the face of its companions.

Luz thankfully, was fair less jarring. She pulled off her wrappings to reveal a face that was covered by mid-length red hair. But with a flip of her head, Luz moved her hair back to reveal a lupine face, with a short muzzle covered in red and white fur and dark green eyes. She too grinned at the Fire Nation as they looked on at this strange fox woman.

Finally, Desierto pulled away his wrappings and showed a face similar to Tierra, but longer and covered in gray fur. As the troops saw him give his own smile, they saw something in it that made them step back. They'd seen the look on each of the Knight's faces, but seeing in the face of a wolf, was more terrifying, for a wolf shows no mercy in the hunt.

As all the Knights stood, unmasked and unhidden, the reactions were mixed from awe and wonder to disgust. But Oscuridad simply shook his head and said, "Expecting something different I take it?"

Those words hung n the air for less then a second before Sokka, being Sokka, blurted out, "The chosen of the gods are _animals_? What the heck is that? This has got to be why we stopped believing in these things."

Katara gasped at that, wondering what her brother could be thinking angering beings sent from the gods. But Agua stepped up front and said, "To be fair Sokka, we're not totally animalistic. Part of us is human."

"What part is that? And how do you know my name?" Sokka asked looking at the cat-man in confusion.

"The part that lets me talk to you. And I know because Fuego told us." Agua replied.

"You see," Tierra said, as he came up to the plate, "our Masters wanted to use humans, but you have that wonderful tendency of getting a little power and becoming obsessed with getting more. Sound familiar Zhao?" he yelled over at the Admiral.

"But animals don't have that problem." Aire continued, picking up effortlessly. "They don't care about power or status. They just care about where they are, and how to protect it."

"Of course, they don't have morals or values." Bosque added. "So the Masters took the best of both; the morality and intelligence of a human, with the near guileless and connected-to-nature mentality of an animal. Except for Fuego here; it seems there wasn't an animal that could control Fire. So Darya, the Architect of Flame, gave life to the magma and formed it into the shape of a man. Regardless, the arrangement's worked quite well for us."

"We'd love to tell you more, but I know we both have bigger concerns." Oscuridad said, as he looked over at Zhao. Drawing his sword, the bat pointed it at Zhao and said, "You have two options. You can leave now, go home, and tell the Fire Lord that we're back and the Avatar is out of his reach. Or you can stay, get the living crap beaten out of you, and then do option one. What do you think?"

It took less then a second for Zhao to answer. For in the time it had taken for the Knights to unmask, most of the Fire Nation troops had dug themselves out of the sand, and those that were left were almost out. Seeing that, Zhao gave his answer; "Attack!"

The Knights prepared to attack, but then Fuego yelled, "Duck and cover!" Without even bothering to look to see what was going on, the Knights suddenly leapt to the sides, just as the troops behind them let loose with fireblasts. As they slid on the ground and came to a halt, they suddenly realized what had happened.

"I thought you had them!" Bosque yelled at Desierto as the two scrambled to their feet.

"Sorry, I lost focus." The wolf answered.

"It doesn't matter, guys." Oscuridad yelled from the other side. Turning to face the troops, he raised his sword high and called out, "Elemental Knights, _Viva la Raza!"_

"_Viva le!" _the others replied, as they charged the small army of Firebenders as Zhao, Aang, and the others watched on.

"Come on guys, we have to help!" Aang said, as he charged into the fray. Katara nodded and followed

"What, the Elemental Knights can't defeat them on their own?" Sokka muttered, as he pulled out his club and ran into the battle. "Viva…. What they said!" the young Water-Tribesman cried out as he began to attack.

* * *

"Perhaps we should help them?" Iroh suggested, as he and Zuko watched the battle.

The boy-prince was quiet a moment, weighing his options. He now had a chance to capture the Avatar, but if these Knights were sent to protect him, what chance did Zuko have? But as he watched the battle and saw Zhao standing on the sides, waiting for the easy attack like the coward he was, Zuko knew what he had to do.

"Keep the soldiers away from the Avatar. I will _not_ let Zhao capture him and I'll make sure he doesn't say anything to the Fire Lord. But we will not letthe Avatar go free." Zuko said.

"Very well." Said Iroh, though he doubted any kidnapping attempt would succeed at the moment. Still when Zuko charged into the fray, Iroh followed.

* * *

As for the battle itself, everyone involved soon realized that the Knights truly believed the words that Fuego had spoken; that true power was not evident in one element alone, but in many working together. The Knight's ability then, came not from fighting alone, but in fighting together……

* * *

Bosque shot out two vines from his hands and wrapped them around two soldiers. Before they could burn them away, the squirrel had thrown them against the trunk of a nearby tree. Moving over to them quickly, Bosque raised up his hands and caused the bark of the tree to spread over the soldiers like a fungus, covering and trapping them in seconds.

"Don't worry boys, this won't last long." He said, as he suddenly dropped to his hands and knees in front of them. The soldiers gave quizzical looks for a moment but then realized what was going on when they saw something speeding towards them. Frantically they tried to burn away the bark, but in vain. With the air boosting his speed, Aire was upon them in seconds. Using Bosque as a springboard, the falcon leapt into the air and somersaulted into the troops, ramming them so hard the tree actually uprooted and fell over.

"Still got it." The man in green said, as he moved over and helped Aire to his feet.

"Damn right." Aire replied, as he looked over at the unconscious troops, now laying in a plethora of splinters. "Now let's get back to work."

* * *

"Come on, she's just a little girl." The soldier sneered as he and his comrade moved in on Katara.

"I beg to differ." The young Waterbender replied as she opened her water-holder. Katara whipped out the water in her holder with amazing speed, knocking down the troops left and right.

But unfortunately, one cannot see behind oneself in battle, and there were many troops. As Katara continued to battle, she suddenly felt a hand grasp her shoulder. Whipping her head around, she suddenly looked into the face of an angry Fire Nations soldier.

"Time to burn little girl." The soldier snapped, as he ignited his free hand. But before he could even come close to her, a huge blast of water shot into him from the side and knocked him off. Katara turned to see Agua ending a Waterbending pose.

"Thought you could use a hand." The cat said as he moved over to her.

"I'm not opposed to it." Katara replied.

"Good, 'cause I think we both need one now." Agua said, as he turned to the soldiers Katara had attacked, who were now rising to their feet.

"Do you know how to get water from the air yet?" Agua asked quickly.

"No, not yet." Katara answered.

"Good thing I do. When I give the word, we slam it into them ok?"  
Katara nodded her approval, and Agau quickly got to work. Holding out his

hand, the cat looked at the air behind them, as it began to change to a deep, fluid blue. Within seconds, a huge field of water hung suspended in the air.

"Now!" Fuego replied, as the soldiers started to advance. Reaching back, the two Waterbenders grabbed control of the water and shot it forward, blasting the soldiers. Within seconds they were back on the ground, sputtering and trying to rise.

"That went well." Agua said as he looked over their handiwork.

"Yeah, but I don't think they're staying down." Katara said, as she saw a couple of soldiers getting up and moving in on them.

"Don't worry, we did our part." Agua replied.

As he said that, two shapes suddenly leapt in front of them. It took Katara a second to recognize them, but the six arms and horns gave them away pretty quickly. Moving with uncanny speed, Hierro shot out chains from each of his six hands. As they neared the soldiers, the chains suddenly grew manacles at the end and clamped onto the soldiers legs. Once each chain was in place, Hierro broke the chains off from his hands. Holding them in place, the spider turned and handed the chains to Trueno.

Grasping all the chains in two hands, the ram closed his eyes and began to concentrate. As he did so, Katara felt a charge creep through the air. A second later, she realized what it meant. Trueno's eyes popped open, and lightening shot down from his hands, through the chains, and into the Fire Nation soldiers, who screamed in pain, and fell to the ground, unconscious and smoking a second later.

Turning around, the ram looked at Katara and said, "Water and metal conduct electricity quite well. Thanks for your help."

"No problem." Katara answered, with a touch of awe in her voice.

* * *

But while the Knights and Avatar gang were able to work together, not everyone on their side was able to do so. Zuko was simply fighting through the lines, fighting whoever and whatever came in his path. He would take down a soldier, then see Aang or one of his friends and shoot a fireblast at them. Iroh was thankfully restricting himself to soldiers but he kept looking over at Zuko, wondering when the boy would make a mistake. But he wasn't the only one.

_I've got to reason with him._ Fuego thought, as he took down another soldier. _It's pointless for us to fight each other when we have a common enemy. But what do I say to get through to him?_

But Fuego got his chance a moment later, as Zhao finally entered the battle. Seeing Zuko become distracted by a random soldier, Zhao suddenly let loose with a fireblast. Zuko saw it and managed to duck, but not in time, and it struck him hard. Zuko went skidding on the ground, finally coming to a halt after three feet. Zhao immediately leapt in battle, Fuego saw his chance. Whipping around, the red man called out, "Tierra! Luz! Over here!"

Slowly, Zuko pulled himself up, just in time to see the feet of Admiral Zhao reach him. Looking down at the young prince, Zhao sneered, "If I can't have the Avatar today, at least I can get rid of you."

Raising up his hand, Zhao prepared to strike down Zuko, but before he could, Zhao grabbed his arm and threw him down.

"You dare try to kill the prince of the Fire Nation, Zhao!" Iroh cried out, as the Admiral got back up.

"No, now I'm trying to kill a pair of traitors!" Zhao cried, as he let loose with a huge fireburst. Iroh moved to intercept it, but suddenly darkness closed in on them…

"Uncle, what is this?" Zuko asked, as he rose to his feet in the pitch-blackness.  
"I'm not sure Zuko." Iroh replied. "But I think I have an idea. Wherever we are smells like dirt."

"Sorry about that." Said a voice from behind. As a light suddenly burst over the space, Zuko and Iroh saw Fuego, Tierra, and Luz, holding the illuminating light in her hand like a lamp standing in front of them.

"You! What did you do to us?" Zuko cried out, his anger temporarily banishing his earlier reverence of the Knights.

"Saving you from Admiral Happy-Pants out there?" said Tierra, gesturing to the earthy dome surrounding them.

"What is it you want?" Zuko snapped, not even caring to offer thanks.

"We want your help." Fuego said simply. "There's no point in you fighting everyone here when we have a common enemy."

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Iroh asked, before Zuko could say anything.

"We fight together, get Zhao out of here, and then go back to the chase. Sound good to you?" Tierra asked.

"Of course not!" Zuko yelled. "If I go after Zhao and halt an attempt to capture the Avatar with you, I'll never be able to return."

"Only if he remembers." Luz said. "Zuko, we can cloud Zhao's memory, so that he doesn't even remember today. And we can do the same to everyone here. But we'd rather leave you out of it."

"And why is that?"

"Because everything that Fuego said about you on the boat is true Zuko. You have potential, ability, and wisdom that few in the Fire Nation have. And I know, because I can see it. I see the good in people, Zuko. And I see more in you then I see in Zhao or most of the troops out there. Would it be so bad to show it?"

At that, Zuko was quiet. He knew that according to legend, the Knight of Light had the power to see the great qualities in a person's heart. And if she said that everything that Fuego had seen in him was truly there….

"Uncle, what do you think?" he asked suddenly.

"I think you could have no greater honor then to battle with the chosen of the gods." Iroh replied. "And besides, Zhao is a jackass."

Nodding, Zuko turned to the Knights and gave his reply


	16. Just Once

Chap. 16

Just Once

"Get out of there, cowards!" Zhao howled as he continued to pound his fiery on the large dome of rock and soil that had sprung up around Zuko and Iroh. Zhao didn't know how Zuko had been able to save himself, but he didn't care. All he cared about was breaking the banished prince once and for all. No one tried to take Zhao's prize, and if he couldn't fight the Knights who protected the Avatar, Zhao would take out his frustrations on his old enemy.

"Come on out!" Zhao yelled as he pounded one more time. But that seemed to do it, as the dome suddenly began to shrink back into the earth. Moving back, Zhao grimly smiled, and readied himself for battle. But before he could even move into position, a fiery blast of molten rock suddenly shot out of the hole. Zhao quickly threw himself to the side, dodging the impact. Pulling himself up, the Admiral saw Zuko walk out, side-by-side with Tierra.

"Nice addition to the rock, kid." The dog said, as Iroh and another two Elementals came to stand by them.

"Do you want to finish him then?" he asked Zuko.

"Yes." Zuko answered darkly, as his fists ignited. Undaunted, Zhao sprang to his feet, his own fists igniting.

"You have fun then." Tierra said, as he back away from the boy-prince. Turning to the others, he said, "Shall we find someone else then?"

"Sounds good to me." Iroh said, as he turned back to the battle and began to charge. The Knights followed, leaving Zuko and Zhao alone.

"So, this is how it ends." Zhao said, as he and Zuko began to circle each other. "Not on a great battlefield, not at your execution, but on an island in the middle of nowhere."

"I'll be sure to send your ashes to the Fire Nation." Zuko answered.

"I think I'll just spread you on the sand here." Zhao answered, as he suddenly bent and blasted fire at the boy-prince. But Zuko spun around and bringing his hand through the move, shot out another flame that counteracted it. Undeterred, Zhao fired back thrice, sending three deadly fire blasts at Zuko. Zuko however, pushed the flames as Zhao had done at their Agni Kai, trying to closer to the Admiral.

But it was here that Zhao made his move. As Zuko burst through the last fire-burst, Zhao suddenly ducked down and shot a smaller burst at Zuko's legs. Occupied with the last fire-burst, Zuko did not see the last burst and it promptly struck him. It did not burn through his armor, but the impact knocked his legs out from under him and he fell face first into the sand. Taking his chance, Zhao leapt into the air, and made to drive his fiery fist into Zuko's back.

But the boy-prince rolled over, saw Zhao, and without hesitation brought his feet, catching the Admiral in his stomach. Zuko then released a burst of fire through his feet, blasting Zhao off like a cannon ball. But Zhao's armor protected him as well, as the Admiral rode the impact and managed to land on his feet. Zuko nipped up and seeing his enemy still standing, charged.

* * *

"Aang, catch!" Desierto yelled, as he grabbed a soldier and with a grunt, swung him towards the young Avatar. As the man came close, Aang quickly gathered up a huge air stream and then released it, shooting the soldier backwards. Of course, he did not go far as Desierto suddenly brought up the sands into a huge, thick, and very hard wall, which the solider promptly struck and slowly fell off of.

"One down, seventeen to go." The wolf said, as he drew the wall down into the sands.

"You actually want to take on seventeen of them?" Aang asked in amazement.

"Of course. That's where the fun is." The wolf said with a grin.

Shaking his head, Aang said, "You're crazy, aren't you?"

"Probably." Desierto replied. But unfortunately he did not get a chance to elaborate, as a fire blast suddenly shot into him from the side and knocked him back.

"Desierto!" Aang cried, as he started to move towards the Knight. But as he came close, Aang suddenly found about five Fire Nation solider in front of him. Undeterred, Aang backed off, then using an air blast on the sand on the ground, created a huge sandstorm that effectively hid him from view.

Thinking himself safe, Aang moved back to leap over the troops. But as he backed up, he felt someone standing behind him. Quickly backing away, Aang saw that he was now surrounded by troops. As Aang moved back from the new troops, he saw his sandstorm fade, and the other troops begin to move in on him.

Slowly, the line of troops began to push the Avatar back, shooting fire bursts left and right. Aang ably dodged them using the trees, but he knew in his tired state, he wouldn't be able to do it for long. But then, he felt a fire blast shot by him from the back. Surprised, Aang dropped to the ground, and found himself standing next to Zuko, who's battle with Zhao had pushed him up the island.

"Give it up Prince! You're outnumbered!" Zhao cried out, as he saw his troops in front of him. Whipping around, Zuko noticed them too, but a second later, he noticed Aang. For a moment, the two of them looked at their respective enemies, then they looked at each other.

"Just this once, Avatar." Zuko whispered, as he moved to face the troops.

"Right." Aang replied, as he turned to face Zhao.

Then before Zhao or anyone else could attack, Aang suddenly jumped back onto Zuko's shoulders, then leapt up into the sky. Zuko then spun around, his arms shooting out fire in two revolving streams. The troops and Zhao jumped back, but as they hung in the air for a split second, Aang landed next to Zuko, slamming down with a huge burst of air that forced Zuko's flames out further, burning a few troops, but also knocking both Zhao and the soldiers on their backs.

"Had enough?" Aang asked with a grin, holding his staff up in a 'come-on' gesture as Zuko took a defensive pose behind him. The answer was apparently yes as the soldiers struggled to their feet and began to run for their ship. "NO! GET BACK HERE!" Zhao cried as more of the soldiers followed, some thinking it was a retreat, others just wanting to get away from the powerful warriors they were facing. "COWARDS, ALL OF YOU! YOU"LL BURN FOR THIS…" Zhao screamed as he struggled to his feet. But then, he felt a hand wrap around his cape and pull him back.

"Hello again." Oscuridad said to the Admiral, as he held the struggling Zhao down. "Things not go as planned?" he asked Zhao, as Iroh, Katara, and the others came to stand by him, Fuego and Aire leading Appa and Momo back from the jungle. "Well, if you'd like, I know how you can avoid telling this to the Fire Lord." The black man said, as he drew his sword.

"I should kill you right now." Oscuridad said, as he placed his sword on Zhao's neck, as the Admiral lay rigid in fear. "Animals like you deserve death. Animals that used to be human but forgot how and descended into evil and madness. You'd kill a man in Ba Sing Se just to watch him die." Said the man in black. "Maybe I should just kill an animal here….."

"Osc." Said a voice from behind them. Turning, the man in back saw Luz standing behind him.

"I promised Zuko no one would remember what happened today." The fox said. "If you kill Zhao, his troops will spread the word."

Oscuridad was quiet a moment, and then nodded. Turning to Zhao, he placed his right hand on the Admiral's forehead. "Get your filthy hand…." Zhao began to curse, but then stopped, his mouth hanging open. As the others watched, Zhao's eyes began to deepen in color, until they had become pools of utter blackness. After another moment, they saw Oscuirdad's eyes had changed to that same state.

"Hear me Zhao." The bat said, as he looked in the dark pools of the Admiral's eyes.

"You did not come to this island. You did not encounter the Avatar, or sight him in any way. You did not encounter Prince Zuko or his uncle, or any of his forces. You will leave and continue your search. And when you return to your ship, you will spread this shadow through the minds of your crew, though you will not remember it. Do you understand?"

Slowly, Zhao's head moved up and down in a nod of understanding. "When you get to the ship, you will forget I did this to you. But you will not forget my instructions, and you will act upon them in your sleeping state. Do you understand?" Again, Zhao nodded.

"Good. Now go to your ship and do as I have instructed." Oscuridad said as he removed his hand from the Admiral's forehead. Slowly, Zhao rose to his feet, his eyes returning to normal. Without even looking at the group, he turned and began to walk back to his ship.

"Done and done." The man in black said, his own eyes returning to their red hue. Turning to Zuko and Iroh, he said, "He won't remember anything. And by tonight, neither will anyone else on the crew. The shadow in his mind will spread to all of them."

"Thank you, great Nightstalker." Iroh said, bowing deep.

"You are welcome General." The bat replied, as he looked at Zuko. The boy prince stood there defiantly a moment, and then he too bowed.

"So now what?" Sokka asked, his club at the ready as he gazed upon the two Firebenders with suspicion.

"Now I hold to my promise." Zuko replied, as he rose. "I won't be coming after you this time, Avatar."

"Can we trust you?" Sokka asked.

"We can." Aang answered suddenly, gently taking Sokka's club hand and easing it down. Turning back to Zuko, Aang said, "It wasgood to fight with you Zuko. I wish we could do it again."

Zuko shrugged at that, but still said, "You are a worthy fighter Avatar."

"It is a pity we have to be enemies Prince. You would be an excellent ally." Oscuridad said, stepping to the front.

"It is a pity." Zuko answered back. Fuego dared a grin as he heard the words from the prince's mouth. _Perhaps this would be it_, the red man dared hope. _The moment where Zuko finally becomes the man he could be._

But a second later, Zuko dashed those hopes by saying, "But I have my mission. Someday I will capture the Avatar, Knights or not. I will regain my honor."

"I believe you will regain your honor." Oscuridad replied, as Fuego's face fell behind him. "But you will not capture the Avatar."

"We'll see." Zuko said. With that, he turned on his heel and began to leave, Iroh following behind. But Oscuridad was not finished yet. "General Iroh." The bat called out. Zuko and Iroh paused, and then turned to face him.

"I have a message for you, General." The bat continued. "A message that Rastla and Darya, God of Fire, asked me to deliver on someone's behalf."

"What is it they wish to tell me?" Iroh asked.

"That Lu Ten has been watching you, and that he is proud of his father. That he hopes that you will teach his cousin the same wisdom you taught him."

Iroh's face trembled at the words from Oscuridad's mouth. But he managed to compose himself, and in a voice wet with his heart's blood, said, "Thank you."

Oscuridad nodded, and then made his hand into a fist, covered it with his other hand, and gave Iroh the bow of the warrior. The general returned it, and then he and Zuko left through the jungle, leaving the Knights and Avatar gang free….. for now.


	17. Epilogue

Chap. 17

Epilogue

It was a few hours later, as the sun began to set into the west, that the group began to finish packing up Appa for the next leg of the journey. The Knights had been more then willing to carry their own weight, and had been a huge help in packing Appa. Still, they had been held up a bit because Aang and the others were eager to hear about the Knights and their roles in the world…..

"So what are the gods like anyway?" Katara asked Agua, as they loaded a few more packs onto Appa's saddle. At that, the cat chuckled and said, "You know, they don't actually like to be called that."

"What, gods?" Katara replied. The cat nodded and explained; "Humans were the ones that termed them gods, but they call themselves Architects, because they laid down the bones of the universe.Although, someone else gave them the blueprints."

Seeing Katara begin to ask another question, the cat quickly answered it, "We've never metthe guy(we don't actually know if he _is_ a guy) but we call him the High-God. The Architects say he was the one who created them and told them how to shape the world, including our home."

"So where do you come from anyway?" Aang asked, as he tied another few bundles onto the saddle.

"Well, nowhere around here." Agua answered, as he secured a few more ropes.

"But Fuego said that he came from somewhere in the Earth Kingdom." Katara added as she climbed into Appa's saddle.

"Well, that was kinda our cover story. We didn't want to give you any hint as to who we were until we could show it to the Fire Nation too."

"Why?" Katara asked as Hierro climbed up into the saddle.

"Well for one thing, you probably would've thought we were crazy." The spider answered. "Second, we've been alive for more then five hundred years. If we don't keep a little drama in what we do, we'd go crazy. Besides, telling you we come from an alternate world isn't exactly a believable story."

"Wait, you guys are from another world?" Sokka asked in surprise.

"Yeah." Luz answered, as she threw another bundle on Appa's back. "You guys didn't think this were the only one, did you?"

"You should see it." Fuego added, as he dragged over a few more heavy packs. "It's full of amazing landscapes, grand cities, and….."

"Don't you have work to do?" Oscuridad said suddenly, as he walked past the red man. "Right." Fuego replied quickly, as he continued dragging the bags forward. After Zuko had left, and questions had arisen, Fuego had admitted his part in leading Zuko to the island. Oscuridad had not been pleased, but had acknowledged that Zuko had proven an aid in the battle. However, he had sentenced the red man to pack most of the stuff onto Appa, a task that Fuego had grudgingly accepted.

"So if Fuego comes form another world, that story he told us was a lie." Sokka concluded, glaring at the red man.

"Well, yes and no." Fuego answered. "My father, Darya, did give me the inspiration for language and my duty to redeem the Fire Nation. But the chicken story, well, that was me."

"Oh my God, you told them that?" Bosque said with a laugh. "And you said it was Darya? Oh you are _dead_."

"Hey, it's not my fault I couldn't tell the truth." Fuego snapped back. Turning to back to the kids, he continued, "My name isn't from an Earth Kingdom language either. It's actually from our world, and it's one we're all quite fluent in. Hell, that's where we picked our names this time."

"We just thought it would be cool to pick different names for each world we get sent to." Aire explained from the side. "After that, all that was left was coming here and making sure you guys were captured by Zuko."

"WHAT! You arranged that?" Sokka yelled, dropping his stuff, as Katara and Aang glared at Aire as well.

"We knew you wouldn't believe us if we came up and told you about us." Trueno explained, coming up to his brother. "Besides, we wanted to earn your trust, and what better way then freeing you from a Fire Nation ship?"

"But how did you do it?" Katara asked. Smiling, Trueno snapped his fingers. A wave of silver surrounded him and when it vanished, the form of the shopkeeper stood there. As the trio stared in amazement, Aire said, "Plus, Agua and I messed with your bending on the docks."

Sputtering, Sokka manged to get out, "You put us in danger so we'd trust you? Why didn't you just tell us who you were!"

As Trueno changed back behind him, Aire put his hand to his chin in serious thought. After a moment, he shrugged and said, "It made us more mysterious that way." Sokka stared in shock for a moment, then slammed his fist into his forehead and began muttering to himself.

Aang however, was far less annoyed. "Well, at least you guys got us out of there. And besides, now all we have to do is find a safe place and you can teach me and Katara bending."

"Um, actually that might be a problem." Fuego said, rubbing the back of his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we're kinda not allowed to teach you." The red man replied.

"I'm afraid he's right Aang." Oscuridad added. "The Architects forbid us from training any mortals."

"But I need to learn all the bending arts. And you taught before." Aang exclaimed.

"I know Aang." Oscuridad said gently. "But it didn't exactly happen that way. See, when we suggested teaching early man bending, we had to put it through their judgment. They immediately shot down teaching shadow and light, since those are the driving elements of the universe and extremly difficult to control. Eventually the Architects decided that the four main earthly elements would be the only ones taught. But before we could begin teaching, they decided that they would be safer for them to do it themselves. So they took animal forms and taught the first benders the rudimentary skills of bending, like the flying bison for the Airbenders."

"You mean human benders aren't as powerful as they could be?" Aang asked, his own needs put aside for the moment in his curiosity.

"They could have grown more powerful, yes. But that was what the Architects feared. They didn't want Elementals running around outside of their direct jurisdiction. But they are not allowed to directly affect the progress of humans by order of the High-God, unless it affects the balance of good and evil. That's why they took animal forms as a disguise and gave us credit with creating bending because we were only the representatives of their power. And we _were_ allowed to create their 'godhood' and establish their laws since that would affect good and evil.

"But why can't _you_ teach me?" Aang pressed on.

"The power would be too great. You see Aang, the difference between us is the level of connectedness. When a human bender uses an element, he or she is forcing that element to become an extension of his or her own being. When we do it, we _are _extending our own being. We Knights were born of the Elements, and therefore we have a much deeper connection to it. It's how we can transform into them, and stay immune to their touch. But because humans did not develop as deep a connection, they can't perform those skills, and cannot be corrupted by the power gained by it. And frankly, the only we could give it to you would be to transform you so that you were like us. Even then you would have all the know-how without any of the experience. If you fought the Fire-Lord like that, you wouldn't last long."

"Wow, they really make it hard don't they? They let me survive at the cost of all my people. And now their own Knights can't even train me." Aang muttered sadly, as he took up Appa's reins.

Sighing, Oscuridad climbed onto Appa's head and put his hand on the young Avatar's shoulder. "Aang, nothing worth doing is ever easy. You will have to learn everything the hard way. But you won't have to do it alone. We are going to help you find Masters to train you, and when you go to face the Fire Lord, we will stand with you."

Aang was quiet a moment, and then said, "You're right. But I wish you weren't."

"So do I. So do I." The bat answered.

For a second, silence ruled again, then Aang asked, in a rather cheerful voice, "So I don't suppose you've ever ridden a buffalo- lion before?"

"I've heard of such things." The bat answered. "I take it you have?"

"No, but I know a place where we can. You interested?"

"A dangerous, time-wasting excursion on the way to saving the world? Why the hell not?"

"Great, you two are going to get each other killed. Can we go now?" Luz asked sarcastically.

"Yes dear." The bat muttered, as he leapt off Appa's head and then took a look at the bison. A moment later, Sokka noticed what he was looking at.

"Hey, I don't think Appa can carry everybody." The young Water-tribesman said as he mentally counted the added weight of the Knights.

"How many do you think he can take?" Oscuridad asked.

"Maybe two or three." Sokka answered after a moment's thought.

"All right. Fuego, Agua, and Truena will ride. The rest of us will follow."

"How? Build a raft or something?" Sokka asked in confusion as the three selected Knights climbed aboard Appa.

The bat smiled and said, "Sokka, we're Knights. One of the first rules of knighthood is getting armor."

With that, the bat closed his eyes and the blue-black fire suddenly spread out over his body. But within seconds, it had hardened into a suit of blue armor, complete with a long, flowing, metal cape. As the other Knights went through similar summonings and called their own armor, the blue cape rose up of it's own accord and hardened into a pair of wings.

"We know how to travel." The bat said, as wings appeared on the other Kngihts as well. Sokka stared for a moment, but then shook his head and said, "Fine, why not?"

"Well, now that that's taken care of, let's go!" Aang yelled. "Appa, yip-yip!"

The bison shot into the air, soaring as majestically as a six-ton animal possibly can. One by one, the Knights took off after him. But before Oscuirdad could follow, he felt a hand on his amr. Turning he saw Aire standing next to him. "Something wrong?" the bat asked.

"¿Él piensa que él es el Airbender pasado?" Aire asked, knowing Aang and his friends couldn't understand or hear the language at this point.

Oscuridad shrugged and replied in the same tongue, "Él descubrirá sobre ellos pronto bastante.. Además, dijeron que no podemos decirle hasta que el tiempo correcto.." Aire nodded, and the two spread their wings and took off after Appa. Their words passed on through the air, unheard to any but themselves. But if they had been heard and spoken in the common tongue, they would have gone like this …

"_He thinks he's the last Airbender?"_

_  
"He'll find out about the others soon enough. Besides, they said we can't tell him until the time is right."_

_Whenever that is……_

**THE END?**


End file.
